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“Look! Look! The face of fire!” 


— Page 94 



RICK AND RUDDY 
IN CAMP 

The Adventures of a Boy and His Dog 


BY 

HOWARD R: GARIS 

Author of “Rick and Ruddy,” “Uncle Wiggily 
Bedtime Stories,” etc. 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

MILO WINTER 


1921 

MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY 

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 




RICK AND RUDDY SERIES 
By Howard R. Gaeis 

RICK AND RUDDY 
A Boy and His Dog 

RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 

Adventures of a Boy and His Dog 

RICK AND RUDDY AFLOAT 
Cruise of a Boy and His Dog 


Copyright, 1921, by 
MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY 
Publishers 


Rick and Ruddy in Camp 


JUL-5'2.1 


©CI.A6i4990 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I. 

The Strange Girl . 





PAGE 

1 

II. 

Ruddy Is Puzzled . 





14 

III. 

Rick to the Rescue 





24 

IV. 

Tin Can Sport . 





37 

V. 

A Happy Prospect . 





46 

VI. 

Off to Camp 





55 

VII. 

A Night Alarm . 





67 

VIII. 

Strange Noises . 





78 

IX. 

The Face of Fire . 





86 

X. 

In the Cave .... 





95 

xr. 

Rival Campers . 





102 

XII. 

Going Fishing . 





111 

XIII. 

The Stone Thrower . 





119 

XIV. 

The Voice in the Cave 





130 

XV. 

A Clam-Bake 





145 

XVI. 

The Drumming Party . 





153 

XVII. 

Te[e Storm .... 





160 

XVIII. 

In Stress of Waters . 





174 

XIX. 

Up a Tree .... 





184 

XX. 

A Missing Dog . 





197 

XXI. 

Ethel Is Lost . . . 





209 

XXII. 

The Dismal Cavern 





220 

XXIII. 

On the Trail . 





231 

XXIV. 

Out of Darkness . 





243 







< 


K 

H 

« 


t 


* i* . 

V • * ' • 

- .v 


i 








I 


RICK AND RUDDY 
IN CAMP 


CHAPTER I 

THE STKANGE GHIL 

^ ^ 11 UDDYI Ruddy! Come back here! 

Where are you going, sirT^ 

The boy stood at the intersection of two 
streets. The dog, a beautiful, reddish-brown 
setter, was half way down the block, standing 
and looking back at the boy, with one paw raised 
as though making a ‘ ‘ point. Ruddy waved 
his plumed tail in friendly fashion to show 
there were no hard feelings on his part because 
he had run away. 

‘‘Ruddy, come back here!’’ cried Rick Dal- 
ton, more sternly now. 

But the red setter, with a bark half of jolly 
defiance and half of begging entreaty, ran 
along by himself. 


1 


2 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘I guess lie knows Mrs. Jackson has a bone 
for him/’ said Eick to himself, laughing a little 
a^ he saw his dog turn several times and look 
back, as if either asking his master to follow, 
or else to beg pardon for deserting. ‘‘I ought 
to make Euddy mind, and come back when I 
call him, ’ ’ said Eick, half aloud to himself as he 
walked slowly on, shifting from one arm to the 
other the bag of sugar he was bringing from the 
store. 

“But I just can’t punish Euddy! I can’t do 
it even if some folks say a dog ought to be made 
to mind. I couldn’t hit Euddy — ever!” 

He looked down the street. The setter was 
nearly out of sight now, but Eick’s sharp eyes 
caught frequent glimpses of his pet, chum 
and almost constant companion. The dog had 
stopped again, after sniffing at a tree, and was 
once more gazing toward his boy master. 

“Oh, go on if you want to !” called Eick with 
a laugh. “Might as well let you have your 
way, I s’pose; though Doc. Wilder says I’m 
spoiling you. I reckon setter dogs were just 
made to be spoiled, ’ ’ mused Eick, as he resumed 
his way toward home. 

And in a sense he was right. There is no dog 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


3 


in the world so loving and lovable as a setter, 
and none quite so hard to train. They are so 
delightfully affectionate, wheedling and kind 
that one, naturally, dislikes to punish them. 
They are as ingratiating as an Irish fairy, than 
which there is nothing more teasing. 

“Might as well try to make him come back, 
though, ’ ’ thought Rick to himself, after a little 
farther forward progress. * ^ I want to keep him 
as well trained as I can. But Ruddy isnT sup- 
posed to be a trained dog — ^he^s just mine — a 
chum ! ’ ’ 

Rick’s eyes gleamed with delight as he 
thought of his dog — the setter that had come to 
him about a year before out of the stormy sea. 
He was Rick’s dog, and Rick belonged to Ruddy. 
Boy and dog were ever together, except at such 
times as this, when Ruddy simply defied all 
rules and trotted off down the street by him- 
self, to look for bones which many neighbors of 
the Dalton family saved for Rick’s pet, for 
Ruddy was a general favorite in the seacoast 
town of Belemere. 

Suddenly Rick gave several shrill whistles. 
It was the signal to which Ruddy seldom failed 
to respond, but this time no reddish-brown dog 


4 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


appeared racing up the street, his legs working 
like engine piston rods, to join his master. 
Ruddy, just then, was gnawing a bone in a yard, 
where, more than once, he had found similar 
treats, and he did not care to leave it now, when 
he must have known there was no special reason 
for it. 

‘‘Well, I guess he isn’t going to come back 
right away, and that’s all there is to it,” said 
Rick aloud, good-naturedly. “I’ll leave this 
sugar in the house and go after him, I reckon. 
I’ve got to make him mind — sometimes!” He 
added this last word as a sort of after-thought, 
to make up for his own lack of firmness in not 
better training his pet. But as Rick often said : 

“You simply can’t whip Ruddy, once he looks 
straight at you!” 

No one could, after a glance into those plead- 
ing, brown eyes, which asked forgiveness in 
such a tender manner. 

So Rick started to enter his own yard, so in- 
tent on wondering what fun he and his dog 
could next find — what adventure might next 
summon them — that, for the moment, he was 
not aware of a strange girl standing in the 
middle of the walk, half way in from the gate. 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


5 


As a matter of fact Rick collided with her 
before he knew she was there. The hoy had 
turned, and was walking backward, his gaze 
fixed on the street, up which he thought Ruddy 
might come at any moment. And as he thus 
walked backward Rick was practicing a new 
way of whistling between his teeth — a trick 
Chot Benson had taught him. 

‘ ‘ Ugh ! ’ ’ grunted Rick, the whistle coming to 
a sudden unmusical end in a grunt as he bumped 
against the girl. 

‘ ‘ Oh ! ’ ’ she exclaimed, an odd, half -afraid tone 
in her voice. ‘ ‘ Oh I ’ ’ 

Rick wheeled about suddenly and confronted 
the strange girl — strange in the sense that Rick 
had never seen her before. And yet there was 
something else remarkable about the girl, who 
was a little older than Rick^s sister Mazie. 

‘‘Oh, where am 11 Can you — Oh, it’s all 
getting black again! I’m in the dark!” cried 
the girl, in a half-sobbing voice, and she 
covered her face with her hands and bowed her 
head. ‘ ‘ In the dark ! ’ ’ she cried. 

For a moment Rick was so startled that he 
nearly dropped the bag of sugar, which would 
have been a calamity, as Mazie was going to 


6 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


make candy with part of it. However, he 
caught it just in time, and then turned his eyes 
toward the girl again. She raised her head, 
and took her hands from her face. Rick could 
see that there were tears on her cheeks. 

‘‘Oh — ^v^ho are you? Where am I?” she 
asked, as if in a daze. “Will you please lead 
me out to the street. I — I must he in the wrong 
yard I ’ ^ 

‘ ‘ W rong'yard ! ’ ’ repeated the boy. ‘ ‘ I should 
say so! Don’t you know where you are — 
honest?” 

“Not exactly. I — ^that is we — ^live around 
here — somewhere ! ’ ’ 

This also impressed Rick as being strange, 
for he had never seen the girl in that neighbor- 
hood before, and it was queer, if she lived 
nearby, that she didn’t know her way home — 
or even out of Rick’s yard. 

“If you’ll please let me take your hand,” 
she said in a more steady voice, as she held out 
both hers, “and lead me to the gate, I can 
find my way — think. ’ ’ 

A sudden idea came to the boy. 

“Are you — er — that is, can’t you — see?^* he 
asked in jerky fashion, “Are you — blind? 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


7 


He spoke the last word softly. 

‘‘Yes,'' answered the girl, gently, “I can't see 
very well, at times. This is one of those times. 
I guess you'll have to lead me out of your 
yard. I didn't mean to come in. It was a mis- 
take. ' ' 

‘ ‘ Oh, that 's all right, ' ' said Rick kindly. ‘ ‘ If 
you'll wait a minute, until I put this hag of 
sugar on the steps. I'll lead you wherever you 
want to go." 

“It isn't far, thank you," responded the 
strange girl. “I just started out for a little 
walk, and when I found my eyes were going bad 
I turned in, thinking I was at my own house. 
We live next to the comer." 

“The brick house?" asked Rick, for that was 
the only residence near him that was to rent, 
and had been for some time. 

“Yes, we only moved in yesterday — that is, 
our things did, and we just came — ^my brother 
and I. I started for the store, but now Jack 
will have to go." 

“That's where I've been," said Rick. 
“That's where I got this sugar. I'll put it on 
the steps." 

“You'd better bring it in the house, I think," 


8 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


suggested the girl. ‘ ‘ Some one might take it. ’ ^ 

‘^That’s so,’’ agreed Rick. ‘‘Then Mazie 
couldn’t make her candy.” 

“Is Mazie your sister?” 

“Yes. I won’t he hut a second,” and Rick 
hurried into the kitchen, where his mother was 
busy at the sink, and Mazie, with a big apron 
on, was importantly stirring something in a 
brown bowl. 

“Well, it’s about time you came with that 
sugar, Richard Dalton!” cried his sister. 
“I’ve been waiting and waiting!” 

‘ ‘ Couldn ’t help it ! Ruddy ran away on me ! ” 
panted Rick. “Be back in a minute — there’s a 
queer girl in our yard — she’s blind — sometimes. 
I got to lead her out ! ’ ’ 

He tossed the bag of sugar to the table and 
raced away, forgetting, as usual, to shut the 
door after him. 

“Blind girl!” repeated Mazie. 

“In our yard,” added Mrs. Dalton. 

Mazie and her mother stepped to the side 
porch and saw Rick leading out of the yard the 
strange girl, whose golden hair was being 
blown about her face by the summer wind. 

“Who is she?” asked Mazie. 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


9 


‘‘Must be that new family that just moved in 
the brick house. But I didn^t know she was 
blind,’’ said Mrs. Dalton. 

Meanwhile Rick led the stranger to the gate, 
which he swung open, holding it back so it would 
not slam shut against her. 

“If you want to go to the store I can lead 
you there,” offered Rick, taking a firmer grip 
on the cool, slim hand of the sunny-haired girl. 

“Thank you, I’d better go home, if you will 
lead me there,” she answered. “Maybe my 
eyes will get all right again in a few minutes, 
and ” 

“Oh, I’ve got lots of time — ^now Mazie has 
her sugar!” interrupted Rick. He could not 
understand how a person could be partly blind 
at one time and not at another. This was some- 
thing else strange about the strange girl. “I’ll 
take you home all right.” 

“Thank you. My name is Ethel Slade,” she 
added. 

“Mine’s Rick Dalton— Richard is my right 
name, but they all call me Rick,” said Ruddy’s 
master. 

The girl stumbled a little as the boy led her 
down off the sidewalk, but he caught her arm 


10 


EICK AND KUDDY IN CAMP 


and steadied her, and led her along the street 
toward the brick house. Eick and his charge 
were almost at the gate when Euddy came 
bounding out of the adjoining yard, his tail 
wildly awag and ready for whatever fun Eick 
might plan. 

‘‘Hi there, Euddy!’’ called the boy. “You 
came back, did youf ” 

“Is that your brother — Euddy?” asked the 
girl, turning her sightless eyes toward Eick. 

“No, it’s my dog — Euddy. Down!” he com- 
manded, as Euddy showed intentions of play- 
fully leaping up and putting his paws on the 
shoulders of Ethel Slade. ‘ ‘ Down ! ’ ’ 

“Oh, I don’t mind! I love dogs!” she said, 
eagerly, ‘ ‘ Please lead me to yours. I want to 
pat him!” 

Euddy was willing enough to make friends, 
but, as he was bounding toward Eick and the 
girl another boy came out of the yard of the 
brick house — a boy older than Eick. 

With a bark of welcome — Euddy was willing 
to make friends with every one — the setter 
leaped toward the strange boy. But the latter’s 
face showed no welcome. Instead he raised his 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


11 


/oot and, as Ruddy came near enough, kicked 
the dog savagely in the side. 

‘‘Get out, you red imp!^’ yelled the strange 
boy. “Don T you try to bite me 

“Ruddy doesn't bite — ever!" cried Rick, hot 
anger surging into his heart. “And don't you 
kick my dog again! Don't you dare, you — 

you !" he paused, his breath coming in 

gasps. 

“I'll kick him whenever I feel like it!" as- 
serted the other lad with an angry sneer. “Let 
him keep away from me ! " 

Ruddy uttered a howl of pain, and ran toward 
Rick for comfort and sympathy. But as Rick 
dropped the hand of the blind girl, and sprang 
toward the boy who had kicked his dog, nat- 
urally Ruddy followed his master. 

‘ ‘ Here he comes again ! Get out ! ' ' yelled the 
lad from the brick house, and again he kicked 
poor Ruddy. 

“Gosh darn you!" cried Rick, using his 
strongest expression. “I'll fix you for that!" 

He struck savagely at the older boy, and his 
fist landed full and fair on the other's cheek. 
A red mark showed the place of the blow, and 


12 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


an instant later Rick was knocked completely 
off his feet by a vicious left hander from the 
other lad. 

‘‘Hit me, will you!^’ yelled the older boy, 
and then he sprang toward the prostrate Rick 
and raised his foot to kick him. 

“Jack! Jack Slade! You ought to be 
ashamed of yourself !^^ cried the girl, who now 
appeared able to see. ‘ ‘ To kick a dog, and then 
kick a fellow when he ’s down ! Shame on you ! ’ ’ 

Rick, hot with anger and struggling to get to 
his feet that he might bear his share in the 
fight he fully intended must follow, saw the girl 
leap for his opponent. She flung her arms 
around her brother and fairly dragged him 
back, away from Rick and Ruddy, though the 
girl appeared more slight and frail than the 
ugly boy. 

“Let me get at him!^^ spluttered Jack Slade. 
“Let me !’^ 

“No! You shan’t! I’ll tell father! You — 
you brute!” she stormed, and there were tears 
in her voice as well as in her eyes. 

‘ ‘ Why, she — she can see as well as anybody ! ’ ’ 
was the thought that flashed through Rick’s 


THE STRANGE GIRL 


13 


mind as he saw the girl holding hack her 
brother who was vainly struggling to reach 
him, while Ruddy barked menacingly. ‘^What 
made her say she was blind, I wonder?’’ 


CHAPTER II 


BUDDY IS PUZZLED 

R ick DALTON was not a fighting boy — 
that is, he did not go about with a chip 
on his shoulder. But no normal lad is going 
to submit tamely to having his dog kicked, and 
be knocked down himself — even after delivering 
a righteous blow. So with hot anger in his 
heart Rick struggled to his feet, and with 
clenched fists advanced toward J ack Slade, who 
was fast breaking away from the hold his sister 
Ethel had on him around the arms, pinning 
them to his side. 

*‘Let go! Let go of me!’^ spluttered Jack. 
‘‘If you don’t let me get at him, Ethel, I — I’ll 
kick you!” 

“It would be just like you !” she said, a touch 
of scorn in her voice. “But you shan’t kick 
that dog again. I won’t let you!” 

14 


RUDDY IS PUZZLED 


15 


“And I won% either added Rick grimly, 
advancing toward his enemy. 

“Huh! A lot you’ll do!” sneered Jack. 
“I’ll knock you down again!” 

“Not so easy!” predicted Rick with a grin. 
He was now beginning to feel the first joy of a 
good fight. 

“Let go, Ethel! Let go, I tell you, or I’ll 
kick you hard!” and the girl’s brother raised 
his foot for a backward blow against her legs 
as she stood close, holding him away from Rick. 

With a sudden and strong effort Jack suc- 
ceeded in forcing off his sister’s arm hold, and 
he sprang forward to battle with Rick, who, 
likewise, was in readiness. With a low growl, 
which boded no good to Jack Slade, Ruddy, the 
red setter, crouched — ^waiting. 

And then, on the porch of the house appeared 
a stem-eyed and gray-haired man, who called 
out sharply: 

“Jack, come here! How dare you fight! 
Come here at once! Ethel— where have you 
been? I’ve been worried about you. You 
might go too far away and ” 

“I did. Daddy dear,” answered the strange 
girl, and her voice was cool and self-possessed. 


16 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘I got in the wrong yard and this boy — Rick 
Dalton — brought me home. Jack kicked his dog 
and ’’ 

* ‘ The dog was going to bite me ! ^ ^ interrupted 
her brother. 

‘‘He was not — Ruddy never bites protested 

Rick. 

“Well, anyhow, I thought he was,’^ grumbled 
Jack. “He hit me — this boy did — and I 
knocked him down 

“And I held him back from kicking Rick when 
he was on the ground ! ’ ’ put in Ethel. ‘ ‘ Didn’t 
I do right. Daddy?” 

“Yes, but you should not have gone so far 
away, in a strange neighborhood, when you — 
you ” 

“Yes, it did happen to me. Daddy,” said the 
girl, sadly. “I — I couldn’t see again, and — 
oh ” 

She burst into tears as her father hurried out 
to clasp his arms around her. 

“Go in the house at once. Jack!” ordered 
the stern man. “I’m sorry this happened,” 
said Mr. Slade to Rick. “Thank you for 
bringing my daughter home. It was a poor 
return for your hospitality, sir,” and he 


RUDDY IS PUZZLED 


17 


bowed in courtly fashion, ‘^to have your dog 
mistreated. ’ ^ 

^‘Oh, that’s all right,” said Rick, good-na- 
turedly, as he saw Jack turn aside with no 
further effort to renew the fight. ''Maybe he 
did think Ruddy was going to nip him, but I 
never knew it to happen. Here, Ruddy!” he 
called to the setter, who seemed disposed to fol- 
low the girl and her father. She was leaning 
on the arm of the gray-haired man, and by the 
manner of her walk Rick realized that her foot- 
steps were uncertain. 

"She can’t see again! That’s funny,” he 
mused, not meaning it in exactly that way, but, 
rather, that it was mysterious. 

"I hate dogs!” muttered Jack Slade, as he 
turned aside, more because of compulsion on 
his father’s part than because he had given 
over the idea of fighting. "If yours comes near 
me again I’ll kick him harder,” he added, but he 
took care that neither Ethel nor her father 
heard him utter this threat. 

"You’d better not do it while I’m around,” 
threatened Rick. ' ' Come on. Ruddy, ’ ’ he called 
to his chum and companion. "Some folks are 
too mean to live,” and Rick shot a glance at 


18 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Jack, who shook his fist angrily as he turned 
into the gate. 

Rick had a glimpse of the stern, gray-haired 
but not old man leading the pretty, stumbling 
girl into the brick house. 

‘^It sure is queer!” mused Rick. ‘‘How 
could she see to get hold of her brother from 
in back, and hold him from kicking me when I 
was down, and yet she can’t see to go in the 
house, and she couldn’t see to get out of our 
yard. It’s mighty strange!” 

Musing on this mystery, Rick whistled to 
Ruddy as a final command to follow, which 
summons the dog obeyed. And then boy and 
dog took their homeward way, giving me a 
chance to inform my new readers something 
about Rick and Ruddy. 

The pair need no introduction to those of you 
who have read the book entitled “Rick and 
Ruddy,” which precedes this. In that I told 
you how Rick, a lad living in the seacoast town 
of Belemere, in one of our eastern states, so 
wanted a dog that he prayed for one, though his 
sister Mazie had doubts as to whether or not 
this was right. 

At any rate Rick prayed, and the next mom- 


BUDDY IS PUZZLED 


19 


ing Buddy, the red setter, was cowering on the 
Dalton doorsteps. He had come to Rick out 
of the sea, having been swept overboard from 
a coasting vessel. 

‘‘Rick and Ruddy,” the first volume of this 
series, pictures the growth of the love of the 
boy and his dog, and something of the happen- 
ings that fell to their lot. Sig Bailey, the coast 
guard, had been the first to glimpse Ruddy as 
the dog was washed ashore during an early 
fall storm. And, for a time, Rick was fearful 
lest Sig claim the puppy as his own — for Ruddy 
was only a puppy then. 

But good-natured Sig said he had no use for 
a dog, whereas Rick had. So boy and dog be- 
came inseparable. Even the efforts of Matt 
Stanton, the oild sea dog of a sailor, to get back 
Ruddy, who had once belonged to him, were not 
successful. 

Sailor Stanton did succeed in luring Ruddy 
away, after the dog had crawled to Rick’s home 
in the night. But by the help of his chums, 
Chot Benson and Thomas Edward Martin 
(called variously Tom and Ted) and aided by 
some Boy Scouts, our hero recovered Ruddy 
from the junkmen. 


20 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


And after that exciting adventure, and some 
others more or less so, Ruddy had become a 
fixture in the Dalton home — as much a fixture 
as Haw Haw, the noisy black crow, who could 
whistle almost as well as any boy in Belemere. 

The winter had come and gone, and now it 
was summer again; and as Rick strolled back 
to his home, followed by Ruddy, who ran here 
and there, covering about three times as much 
ground as was necessary, the boy wondered 
what further adventures, haps and mishaps lay 
before him in the long vacation now at hand. 

There ^s one new boy on this street,’’ mused 
Rick, as he thought of Jack Slade. ‘^But I 
don’t like him! I don’t want anything to do 
with him ! I wonder why he hates dogs ? And 
what makes his sister so she can’t see at one 
time, and can at another? It’s queer!” 

Rick found his mother and Mazie on the side 
porch waiting for him rather anxiously. 

*‘What happened?” asked Mazie. In one 
hand she held a sticky spoon, for she had started 
to make the candy, the sugar for which her 
brother had brought. 

‘‘You’ve been fighting!” exclaimed Mrs. Dal- 
ton, after the first look at her son. 


RUDDY IS PUZZLED 


21 


little,” lie admitted. 

‘ ‘ Oh ! ” gasped Mazie. ‘ * With that — girl?*^ 

‘‘Her brother,” admitted Rick. “He kicked 
Ruddy!” 

“Oh— Oh !” 

Mazie did not know what to say at this. 

‘ ‘ Is she one of the new neighbors in the brick 
house ? ’ ’ asked Mrs. Dalton. 

“Yes’m,” Rick answered. “She’s blind, 
part of the time.” 

‘ ‘ Part of the time ? ’ ’ asked Mazie. ‘ ‘ How can 
that be?” 

“I don’t know,” Rick answered. “It is 
funny. But she was in our yard and couldn’t 
see to get out — guess she thought she was home. 
I led her out and then her brother — ^his name 
is Jack Slade and his hair’s partly red — ^he 
thought Ruddy was going to bite him and he 
kicked him, then I hit him and he knocked me 
down and he growled and his father came 
out ” 

“Gracious!” exclaimed Mazie. “Nobody 
can tell what you ’re talking about, Rick ! ’ ’ 

“It was sort of mixed up,” admitted the boy 
with a smile. “But she’s a nice girl, and it’s 
too bad she gets blind every once in a while.” 


22 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


it Mind staggersT^ asked Mazie. 

‘^Course not!’’ cried Rick, indignantly. 
‘ ‘ That ’s what horses get ! She ’s a girl ! ’ ^ 

‘‘It is too bad,” said his mother. “I can’t 
understand it. I wonder if — ^your candy is 
burning, Mazie ! ’ ’ she suddenly cried, and Rick ’s 
sister hastened into the house, with an exclama- 
tion of dismay. 

“Was it needful to fight, Rick?” asked his 
mother in a low voice. 

“Yes’m, it was!” he answered earnestly. 
“If you’d seen him kick Ruddy ” 

“I’m glad I didn’t! Don’t forget to bring 
me up some coal.” 

“No’m, I won’t.” 

As he went about his usual household tasks — 
his “chores” — ^Rick could not help thinking of 
the strange girl, whose eyesight came and went 
in such an odd manner. 

“I like her,” thought Rick, “but I don’t like 
that red-haired brother of hers,” and he little 
realized what an influence in the life of himself, 
and his dog, Ethel and Jack were to prove. 

It was a day or two after this, during which 
time Rick had had no further sight of the new 
family in the brick house that, as he and Chot 


RUDDY IS PUZZLED 


23 


Benson were coining home from a fishing trip, 
Ruddy suddenly darted away from the two boys, 
and ran into a dense thicket. A moment later 
Rick heard his pet barking loudly, and in a 
peculiar manner. 

“He’s treed a rabbit!” cried Chot. 

“Rabbits don’t climb trees!” laughed Rick. 
“But he’s scared up something, Ruddy has. 
Let ’s go see what it is ! ” 

‘ ‘ Sure ! ’ ’ agreed Chot. 

A moment later the two lads came upon 
Ruddy standing in puzzled fashion over the 
prostrate form of a girl, lying prone on the 
tangled grass in the center of a clearing, girt 
about by thick bushes and stunted trees. 
Ruddy looked at the body, and then back to his 
master and Chot, who were outside the little 
clearing. Plainly the dog was asking the same 
questions that the boys wanted answered. 
And they were : 

“Who is she? What has happened?” 


CHAPTER III 


KICK TO THE EESCUE 

R ick and Chot, silently watching the move- 
ments of Ruddy, and glancing from the 
dog to the girl 'lying on the grass, suddenly 
knew that she was alive and was crying. She 
was sobbing so hard that her little body shook 
from head to foot, and the boys could hear her 
saying : 

‘ ‘ Oh, will I ever get any better? Oh, why did 
it have to happen? I can’t stand it!’^ 

In a flash Rick knew, now, who it was. 

‘‘Ethel Slade!” the owner of Ruddy whis- 
pered to Chot. “She’s blind — part of the 
time.” 

“She is?” gasped Chot, and then, before 
either boy could speak again. Ruddy moved 
closer to the girl and began sniffing at her 
golden hair which was lying in a tangled mass 
on the ground. 


24 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 


25 


The girl, without raising her head, stretched 
out her hand and, after groping a moment, 
found Ruddy ^s shaggy neck. 

‘‘Oh, Ruddy! Ruddy 1^^ she sobbed. “Can 
you lead me home? Can you take me out of 
here? I shouldn't have come, when I knew it 
might get dark all of a sudden.’’ 

“Dark?” whispered Chot to his chum. 
‘ ‘ What ’s she mean ? ” 

“Keep still!” cautioned Rick. “She means 
go blind, I guess. It happened before, in our 
yard. We got to lead her home. Here, you 
hold my fish and pole. ’ ’ 

Rick gave his string of freshly caught chub 
and perch to his chum, and also handed over 
his pole and line. Thus free. Ruddy’s master 
started through the bushes toward the girl, who 
was still lying outstretched on the grass, sobbing 
pitifully, now and then patting the dog’s head 
with her upraised hand. And she murmured 
over and over again : 

“Will the dark ever stop coming? Will I 
ever be like other girls ? ’ ’ 

Ruddy looked up toward his friends, the boys. 
Clearly the dog understood them better than he 
did girls — especially crying girls. And as 


26 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Ruddy saw Rick coming toward him, the dog 
waved his tail and barked gently, to show how 
glad he was that some one was coming to take 
charge of matters. 

Who’s there?” asked the girl suddenly, 
sitting up, and putting her arm around Ruddy’s 
neck. ‘‘Is any one coming? I hear you. But 
I — I can’t see you!” 

Her eyes, wet with tears, were turned full on 
Rick, and gave the boy a queer feeling when 
he realized that she could not see him. 

“Please tell me who you are!” Ethel begged. 
“I’m all alone. I got lost, I guess, and — and I 
cried and this dog came — Ruddy — and he ” 

“How did you know he was Ruddy?” asked 
Rick, as he walked toward her. 

“Oh, you’re Rick!” she cried joyfully. 
“Now I’m all right ! Please lead me home ! I 
thought it might be — a tramp. ’ ’ 

“Not many tramps around here,” answered 
Rick. ‘ ‘ Chot and I ’ve been fishing. We ’ll take 
you home. Good old dog. Ruddy!” he said to 
the setter, patting his head. “He found you,” 
Rick explained to Ethel. “We didn ’t know you 
were here.” 

“I shouldn’t have come,” she said. “But I 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 


27 


was all right when I started out. Then the — 
the darkness came — all of a sudden — and I 
stumbled on and seemed to get in a place where 
there was no way out. Oh, how frightened I 
was. Where am I, anyhow r’ 

‘ ‘ Not far from home, ’ ’ answered Rick, smiling 
at the girl, and then remembering that she could 
not see this friendly act on his part. ^^YouTe 
in a sort of clearing, with bushes and little trees 
all around. There ^s only one good path in.’^ 
‘‘Then I must have stumbled on that to get 
in, and couldn’t find it again,” she said. “I’m 
so glad you found me — ^you, too. Ruddy,” she 
went on, reaching out her hand to pat the dog. 
Ruddy had trailed off on some scent he sud- 
denly picked up on the wind, but Rick brought 
him to heel with a whistle, and pulled him within 
reach of Ethel’s outstretched hand. 

“He likes to be petted,” Rick said, as his ani- 
mal chum wagged an appreciative tail. 

“And I like to pet dogs,” said the girl. “I 
wish ” 

But she stopped suddenly, and did not finish 
what she was going to say. 

“I ought to hurry home,” she went on. 
‘ ‘ Daddy will be worried. ’ ’ 


28 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Rick wondered that she did not speak of her 
mother, though he learned why later. 

‘‘It isn’t far,” Rick told Ethel. “Just take 
hold of my hand. You carry the fish and poles, 
Chot.” 

‘ ‘ Sure, ’ ’ was the ready answer. 

‘ ‘ Oh, is there fishing around here 1 ’ ’ asked the 
girl, as Rick guided her steps out of the maze 
of small trees and hushes. 

“Fine!” he answered. -“Want to go some 
day?” 

‘ ‘ Oh, I ’d love to — ^but ’ ’ 

She reached up her disengaged hand, the 
other being in the grasp of Rick, and touched 
her eyes. At the same time Chot gave his corn* 
panion a strange look. 

What was coming over Rick, Chot wondered, 
offering to take strange girls on a fishing trip? 
There was something very queer in this. 

“I might fall in,” Ethel added, and she 
laughed a little, which seemed rather odd to the 
boys, for there were still traces of tears on her 
cheeks. 

“Oh, we wouldn’t let you fall in, would we, 
Chot?” appealed Rick. 

“Sure not!” said Chot, before he thought. 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 


29 


Then, to himself, he added: ‘^Gol ding it! 
What^d I want to go and say that for? Let 
Rick look after his own girls ! They’re no good 
fishin’ anyhow!” 

But, afterward, Chot was glad he had not said 
this aloud. 

Followed by Chot, and preceded by Ruddy, 
Rick led the blind girl out of the thicket, care- 
fully holding back the swishing branches lest 
they whip her in the face. 

And it was when they reached the boundary 
of the open lots, where the latter ended and the 
streets of Belemere began, that Ethel, removing 
her hand from the grasp of Rick, said : 

‘‘My eyes are getting all right again now. I 
can see my way home, thank you. ’ ’ 

“Are you sure?” asked the boy. 

“Sure! I shan’t have to trouble you and 
Ruddy — and Chot — any further — at least not 
now. Besides I don’t want daddy to worry, and 
he would if he saw me being led home. I can 
get along all right.” 

“ ’Tisn’t any trouble!” half-grunted Chot, 
and he wondered to himself why he bothered to 
say this, for, as a rule, Chot didn’t care much 
for girls. 


30 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘ ^ No trouble at all, ’ ’ added Eick. ‘ ‘ We ’d just 
as soon go all the way borne with you. ^ ’ 

‘‘Thank you, but you don’t need to,” Ethel 
said. “It will be better if I walk up by my- 
self. And my eyes won’t go dark again very 
soon.” 

She nodded and smiled at them, and turned 
down the street that led to her house — the only 
brick residence in that part of Belemere. Eick 
took back his fish and pole from his chum, and 
together the two boys watched the girl’s prog- 
ress. She walked straight along, with never a 
stop or falter, until she turned in her own gate. 
“She’s all right now,” said Eick. 

‘ ‘ I guess so, ’ ’ agreed Chot. “You know her ? 
What makes her get that way? ” 

“I know her — a little,” admitted Eick. 
“They just moved in our street. She gets 
blind every once in a while. ’ ’ 

“I never heard anything like that,” declared 
Chot. “You s’pose she really does?” 

“Does what?” 

“Get so she can’t see.” 

‘ ‘ Sure she does ! Think she ’d fool us ? ’ ^ 

‘ ‘ Some girls would, ’ ’ said Chot. 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 


31 


‘ ‘ She wouldn ’t. Besides mocking is catching, 
and she might go blind in earnest. ^ ’ 

‘‘That’s so,” admitted Chot. “Well, any- 
how, it’s a good thing we found her.” 

“You mean Ruddy did.” 

“Sure! Your dog is a good one! Well, I 
got to hurry or I’ll be late for supper. I’m 
glad I got some fish, for ma doesn’t mind if 
I’m late if I bring fish.” 

“Mine either. S’long!” 

‘ ‘ S ’long. See you t ’morror. ’ ’ 

They separated, Ruddy waving his tail in 
farewell to Chot as the setter and his master 
made their way home. 

“What do you reckon does ail her, Momsie!” 
asked Rick that evening, when he was telling 
the day’s adventure. 

“It must be some disease of the eyes,” Mrs. 
Dalton said. “Poor girl! I must call and see 
her folks. ’ ’ 

“She’s nice,” declared Rick. “But that 
brother of hers— say, I don’t want to see Urn 
any more!” 

“Did he kick Ruddy again!” asked Mazie. 

“No, and he won’t get the chance. But any- 


32 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


body that kicks my dog once — that^s enough 

It was a few days after this that Rick, coming 
home from the store with a jug of molasses his 
mother had sent him after, found no one at the 
house on his arrival. His mother had said she 
might go out — perhaps to call on the Slade 
family — so Rick set the molasses jug on the 
porch and went off to find Chot, or one of his 
other boy chums. 

‘ ‘ Come on. Ruddy ! ’ ’ called Rick, as he started 
out of the yard. But the setter evidently had 
other plans, for, with a bark, as if asking per- 
mission, he disappeared through the bushes in 
the direction of Silver Lake, where once he had 
had the battle with the swans. 

‘‘All right! Go swimming if you want to,’^ 
said Rick, for his dog frequently did that. 
“You’ll find me over in the lots, playing ball.” 

Rick often talked to his dog in this fashion, 
just as if Ruddy could understand. And I think 
perhaps the setter did know a great deal that 
was said to him. Though of course it was the 
tone of voice, or the manner, rather than the 
words themselves, that made him understand. 

So Rick ran on, and soon he and Chot, with 
Tom-Ted Martin, were wildly playing a game 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 33 

of ball. For the time being Ruddy was for- 
gotten. 

The red setter had gone for a dip in Silver 
Lake, as Rick had guessed he might. But 
Ruddy went nowhere near the big white swans. 
One battle with them, in which his tail was 
severely pinched in the bird^s powerful beak, 
was enough for Ruddy. He gave the swans 
a wide berth. 

Coming back, fresh and clean from a dip in 
the lake. Ruddy saw, on the side steps of his 
house and he always thought of the Dalton 
home as his house — a strange cat. 

Now Ruddy was not overly fond of cats, but 
yet he was not as cruel to them as are some 
dogs. In fact with Sallie, who lived at the 
home of Mrs. Watson, next door. Ruddy was 
very friendly. But whenever he saw a strange 
cat Ruddy always chased her — just to see what 
she would do. They generally, one and all, did 
the same thing — arched up their back, made 
their tail big and hissed like a snake. 

‘‘I wonder if this cat will do that — or some- 
thing new?” perhaps Ruddy may have thought. 

At any rate he made a dive for this cat, run- 
ning half way up the steps of the porch on 


34 


EICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


which Eick had set down the molasses jug. 
Instantly the cat darted behind the jug, out of 
sight and out of reach of Euddy. 

‘ ‘ Oh, ho ! That isn T fair ! ’ ^ the dog probably 
thought to himself. ‘‘I canT see what you’re 
doing there. I’ll get you out!” 

Now Euddy was a wise dog. More than once, 
before he and Sallie became friends, he had suf- 
fered from a sore and scratched nose on account 
of cats. Euddy wanted no more of that. So 
instead of making a dash behind the molasses 
jug, Euddy put his paw to the rear of the con- 
tainer of sweet, sticky stuff, and tried to reach 
the cat that way. 

But a dog’s nose or a dog’s paw were alike 
to this strange cat. She was afraid of them. 
So she instantly began to hiss and ‘‘spit” as 
loudly as she could, at the same time arching 
up her back and fluffing out her tail. 

But she did more than this. She made a dart 
to get to a safer place than the haven behind 
the jug, and as she darted out to one side, Euddy 
made a dive after her. 

Then several things happened. Either the 
cat or the dog — ^perhaps both — overturned the 


RICK TO THE RESCUE 


35 


jug. It was round, the porch floor was slanting, 
and the jug rolled toward the outer edge. 

Ruddy turned quickly, to take after the run- 
ning cat, hut his pawnails slipped on the smooth 
floor of the porch and he fell, slipping up against 
the side of the house and then sliding along the 
porch and toward the edge, which had no railing. 

First the molasses jug fell off and, striking 
the stone walk, broke. Out oozed the sweet, 
sticky molasses. It spread into a pool, and, an 
instant later Ruddy rolled off the porch into 
that same, thick pool. And before he could re- 
gain his feet the setter had rolled completely 
over in the molasses, covering himself with the 
sticky stuff. 

Poor Ruddy set up a mournful howl as he 
realized the plight into which he had fallen. He 
slipped and slid about in the molasses as he 
managed to struggle to his feet, and then, as he 
saw the cat racing away across the yard, what 
must have been a spirit of revenge took pos- 
session of Ruddy. 

“It's all her fault for making this happen to 
me!" he must have thought. “I'll chase her 
and scare her good!" 


36 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


And then, dripping molasses as he was, Ruddy 
set off with a series of loud barks, chasing the 
unfortunate, strange cat. 

But the worst was yet to come. 


CHAPTER IV 


TIN CAN SPOKT 

M rs. MUNROE, who lived a few doors 
from Rick, happened to be changing 
some of her feather pillows that day. She was 
putting new ‘ kicking covers on them, because 
the old had become worn and soiled, and she 
was doing the work of shifting the feathers 
from one case to another in the woodshed back 
of her home. 

‘‘For I don’t want the feathers flying all over 
the house,” she had said to her daughter before 
taking the pillows to the shed. “And it can’t 
be done out of doors, for the least breeze would 
blow everything everywhere. ’ ’ 

And just about the time that Mrs. Munroe 
was shaking the first case full of pillows into 
a fresh bag of ticking, along came Ruddy, drip- 
ping molasses and chasing the cat. 

The red setter dog had gotten over the first 
37 


38 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


shock of finding himself all sweet and sticky. 
He had paused for a moment, after he slipped 
and rolled into the molasses that oozed from the 
broken jug, to lick off a little of it. Then he 
had raced on after the strange cat. Perhaps 
Ruddy thought, if dogs do think and this I be- 
lieve, perhaps he thought there would be time 
enough, after he had worried and chased the 
cat, to take another bath in Silver Lake. 

However that may be. Ruddy rushed on with 
joyful barks, out of his yard and into the yard 
of Mrs. Munroe, the strange cat a few lengths 
in advance. The cat, seeing the open woodshed 
door, but not knowing Mrs. Munroe was in there 
changing her pillows, made a dash for this haven 
of refuge. 

Ruddy gave a louder and more joyful bark. 
He knew that woodshed. He had been in it 
many times and he knew there was only a small 
window opening out of it, being closed by a 
screen in summer. 

‘‘Now IVe got you!’’ the dog must have 
thought as he dashed on into the shed after the 
cat. 

Mrs. Munroe was in the act of shaking the 
last half of the feathers from the old ticking to 


TIN CAN SPORT 


39 


the new, when the cat, with a flying leap, sailed 
over her head and landed on a shelf on the wood- 
shed wall. 

‘‘Mercy me!'' gasped Mrs. Munroe. 
‘ ‘ What 's this ? ' ' 

Then she saw the cat. 

‘ ‘ Scat ! Get out of here — please do ! " begged 
Mrs. Munroe. The first command she uttered 
in a loud voice, adding the “please," because 
she really loved animals. “What's the matter? 
You act as if something had been chasing you !" 
she said. 

And a moment later she found out what had 
disturbed the cat. 

For Ruddy, molasses dripping from almost 
every hair, covered with a few dried leaves and 
sticks where he had rolled on the ground, burst 
into the woodshed. Ruddy paid no attention to 
Mrs. Munroe, though he knew she was a friend 
of his, for she had often saved him choice bones. 
Ruddy's whole attention was centered on the 
cat, which was up on the shelf. 

With a loud bark Ruddy took the most direct 
route for reaching pussy, and Mrs. Munroe hap- 
pened to be in his way, holding the half-emptied 
feather pillow. It was not her fault, nor 


40 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Ruddy’s, I suppose. Things just were that 
way. 

In another instant the dog made a leap for 
the cat, brushed Mrs. Munroe to one side, 
thereby making her drop the pillows and the 
loose feathers, and brought up with a thud 
against the side of the woodshed. Ruddy was 
going so fast he couldn’t stop. But when he" hit 
the shed, giving a yelp of pain as he did so, he 
bounded back and fell in a heap in the midst of 
the loose feathers. 

You do not need to be told what happened. 
Covered as he was with the molasses, every- 
where a feather touched the dog it stuck. In a 
moment or two, as he wriggled about in getting 
to his feet, poor Ruddy was covered with 
feathers and looked like some animal from a 
nightmare dream. 

‘‘Well, of all things!” cried Mrs. Munroe. 
“I never saw the beat of this in my life! Oh! 
Oh!” 

Ruddy, indeed, was both a funny-looking and 
a scary sight. Feathers stuck out all over 
him, on his legs, his back, his sides, his tail 
and even on his head. Some were molassesed 


TIN CAN SPORT 


41 


fast over his eyes, making him look like an old 
man whose eyebrows were like miniature shoe 
brushes. 

And Ruddy must suddenly have realized how 
he looked — what a ridiculous figure he pre- 
sented. For, all at once, he lost interest in the 
cat, and slunk out of the shed, his feathered tail 
drooping between his legs. 

Mrs. Munroe gave one look at the dog, and 
then burst out laughing. She really couldn^t 
help it. Ruddy did look so odd ! 

The dog heard her laughter, and in that 
strange way animals have of sensing your feel- 
ings, he knew he was being laughed at. And 
animals do not like fun poked at them. Dogs 
will play together, falling all over and turning 
the most ridiculous somersaults. But they do 
that in sport, as men and boys play at games, 
doing things they would not otherwise do. And 
a dog no more likes to be laughed at when he 
has made himself foolish than do boys and men. 
This applies to many other animals. 

So when Mrs. Munroe laughed at Ruddy the 
dog gave her a sad and reproachful look, and 
slunk away. The cat, seeing there was no 


42 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


further danger, let down the arch in her back, 
allowed her tail to assume its natural size and 
leaped down off the shelf. 

‘‘Don’t you go rolling in feathers now!” cau- 
tioned Mrs. Munroe, “though I don’t s’pose 
they’d cling to you the way they did to Ruddy. 
He was all sticky. I wonder what from? 
Gracious! I’m glad I wasn’t emptying a 
feather bed! I’d ’a’ been smothered when 
Ruddy knocked me down! As it is I’ll sneeze 
feathers for a week!” 

She began to pick up what she could of the 
fluffy material, giving no further heed to the 
dog or cat. As for Ruddy he had but one idea 
— to get a bath as soon as possible. He loved 
to he clean, and he knew he needed a dip in 
Weed River or Silver Lake. And he was going 
by the least public way to get there, sneaking 
through back lots and alley ways so no one 
would see him. 

But, as it happened, about this same time 
Rick and Chot were coming back from the ball 
game. They, too, took a short cut, for, at the 
last moment, Chot remembered his mother had 
told him to bring something from the store for 
supper, and Rick offered to go with him. 



The dog gave her a sad and reproachful look and slunk away 



TIN CAN SPORT 


43 


So, as it chanced, the two boys, and some of 
their chums, met poor Ruddy as the dog was 
slinking along to get a bath. 

‘‘Oh, look!^’ cried Chot, pointing. “What a 
funny dog ! ^ ^ 

“It^s a bird dog!’’ exclaimed Tom Martin. 
“Anyway he’s got feathers!'^ 

“Zowie! What a critter!” laughed Harry 
West. 

But it needed more than a coat of molasses 
and feathers to disguise Ruddy from Rick. The 
boy knew his dog almost at once. 

“It’s Ruddy!” he cried, hurrying forward 
while the dog, cringing as though he were at 
fault, crawled to meet his master. “Poor, poor 
Ruddy!” exclaimed Rick. “Who did this to 
you?” 

He could not imagine it having happened by 
accident. 

“WRat is it, anyhow?” asked Chot. 

“He’s been in some sticky stuff — or somebody 
poured it on him, and then rolled him in 
feathers,” said Rick. 

“Who you s’pose’d do a thing like that?” 
asked Tom. 

“It’s molasses!” exclaimed Chot, looking at 


44 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


a little puddle which dripped from the underside 
of the dog and collected on a flat stone. 

‘‘Molasses and feathers!’^ cried Harry. 
“Who did it, Rick?’’ 

“It must ’a’ been that mean skunk Jack 
Slade!” declared Rick. “He hates Ruddy! 
He kicked him the other day! Wait till I get 
hold of him ! ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ That ’s a mean shame ! ’ ’ cried the other boys. 

“Take him down to the lake and wash him 
off,” suggested Chot. “It’s a good thing 
’tisn’t tar!” 

‘ ‘ I should say so ! ” agreed Rick. ‘ ‘ Come on. 
Ruddy, old fellow! I’ll clean you o:ff !” 

The dog glanced up with a grateful look in 
his brown eyes. Rick grasped him by the col- 
lar, to lead him along, and, at that moment a 
voice on the other side of a screen of bushes 
said: 

“Here’s a dog now, fellows! Where’s that 
tin can? We’ll tie it to his tail and watch him 
run!” 

“That’s right!” chimed in another lad. 
“Great sport!” 

Rick and his chums stood, waiting. 

A moment later there burst through the 


TIN CAN SPORT 


45 


underbrush Jack Slade and two or three other 
boys of the rougher element in Belemere. 

‘^Oh, so you fellows are going to tie one on 
too, are youT’ asked Sam Small. 

‘ ‘ What ? ’ ^ asked Rick. ‘ ^ Tie what 1 ^ ’ 

‘‘A tin can on that dog^s tail! Where ’d you 
catch him?^’ 

^ ‘ I didn T catch him, ’ ’ Rick answered. ^ ‘ This 
is Ruddy 

‘‘Ruddy 1^’ cried Sam and his particular 
chum, Sid Osborne, echoed: “What a looking 
dog!’’ 

“Yes, and I know who made him look this 
way!” exclaimed Rick with flashing eyes. 
“You did this!” he accused Jack Slade. “I’m 
going to punch your face!” 


CHAPTER y 

A HAPPY PROSPECT 

J ACK SLADE dropped the tin can and 
string he had been carrying and doubled 
his fists. 

all ready for you if you want to fight!’’ 
he said. ‘‘I knocked you down once, and I can 
do it again! Don’t let him sic the dog on me, 
Sam!” he called to his chum. 

don’t sic Ruddy on anybody!” cried Rick. 
^‘Here, Chot. You hold him for me,” he added 
to his friend, leading the setter to one side. 

^‘He wouldn’t bite you anyhow. Jack Slade! 
You’re too mean! I’d be afraid my dog would 
be poisoned if he bit youV^ 

^ ‘ Oh, is that so ? ” sneered J ack. ‘ ‘ W ell, come 
on if you ’re going to fight ! ’ ’ 

‘‘I’ll fight anybody, I don’t care if they are 
bigger than I am, when they pour molasses 
and scatter feathers on my dog!” cried Rick. 

46 


A HAPPY PROSPECT 


47 


‘‘Who put molasses on your dog?” challenged 
Jack, beginning to circle around Rick, looking 
for a chance to hit him. 

“I say you did it!” declared the master of 
Ruddy. “And now you want to tie a tin can 
to his tail!” 

“I didn’t do it!” asserted Jack. “I never 
saw your dog before to-day, and I didn’t put 
any molasses on him. Where ’d I get molasses, 
anyhow?” 

“Didn’t you do it?” asked Rick, beginning to 
think, for the first time, that perhaps he might 
be mistaken. 

“No, I didn’t do it! Did I, fellows?” ap- 
pealed Jack to his chums. 

“ Naw ! Course not ! ’ ’ chorused Sam and Sid. 
They did not deny, however, nor did Jack, that 
they had intended to tie a tin can to Ruddy’s 
tail, or to the tail of some unfortunate dog, 
if they had a chance. 

“Well, if you didn’t do it, who did?” Rick 
wanted to know. 

“How can I tell?” sneered Jack. “Ask me 
somethin’ easier! But I’m ready if you want 
to fight ! I can knock you down again and ’ ’ 

“I don’t want to fight if you didn’t do any- 


48 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


tiling to Ruddy,’’ spoke Rick, unclenching his 
fists. ‘‘But somebody gummed him all up 
with molasses and then sprinkled feathers over 
him.” 

“He sure is a sick looking dog!” chuckled 
Sam. 

“I wouldn’t have him for a gift, not if you 
chucked in two cats ! ’ ’ sneered Sid. ‘ ‘ Come on, 
fellows,” he said to Sam and Jack. “We’ll go 
find another dog to tin-can!” 

That seemed to be a favorite sport with him 
and his cronies. 

“All right,” growled Jack. “But if any- 
body wants to fight I’m ready!” and the red- 
haired brother of gentle Ethel Slade looked 
angrily at Chot and Tom. 

“No use fightin’ for nothin’,” said Chot, 
cheerfully. “Come on, Rick. We’ll go wash 
Ruddy.” 

“Better scrub him with sand-soap!” jeered 
Sid as he and the other two boys walked away 
with their tin can and string. 

“We’ll scrub your face with it!” retorted 
Chot. 

Rick was thinking too much about poor Ruddy 
to send back any sharp answers. He led his 


A HAPPY PROSPECT 


49 


canine companion along toward Silver Lake. 
For the time being the fight had been passed 
over. But, somehow, Rick felt he and Jack 
would some day need to ^‘have it out,” in a 
good battle of fists. 

‘‘He’s just as mean as they make ’em!” de- 
clared Tom, as he and Chot trudged along be- 
side Rick. 

‘ ‘ All of ’em are, ’ ’ declared Chot. ‘ ‘ The whole 
three. ’ ’ 

“After we get Ruddy cleaned, we’ll sort of 
follow ’em,” suggested Rick. “And if we find 
’em tying cans to dogs’ tails we’ll make ’em 
stop!” 

‘ ‘ Sure ! ’ ’ agreed his chums. They, as well as 
Rick, belonged to the Boy Scouts, and of course 
were kind to animals. 

Poor Ruddy certainly was glad to get that 
bath. The molasses and feathers came off more 
easily than Rick and his friends had dared to 
hope, and in a little while Ruddy was no worse 
off than he had been many a time after leaping 
into Silver Lake to bring back the sticks Rick 
tossed in. 

“What’s the matter with your dog?” asked 
Ethel of Rick, as he passed her house, where 


50 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP, 


she was sitting on the stoop. Ruddy was drip- 
ping water, but he was clean and — ^happy. 

‘‘Oh, somebody poured molasses on him,^' 
Rick answered. 

“What a shame! Poor doggie!^’ she said 
pityingly, as she came down to the gate, and 
patted Ruddy’s wet head. 

“Oh, I got it all off,” said Rick. “But I’d 
like to find out who did it. ’ ’ 

As Ethel was making herself firmer friends 
than ever with the setter, by gently pulling his 
damp ears, her brother came along. 

“Don’t you let that dog in our yard!” he 
cried to Rick. ‘ ‘ If you do I ’ll kick him out ! ’ ’ 
“Jack!” exclaimed Ethel, and Rick noticed 
that her eyes seemed all right now, and she 
showed no trace of blindness. 

“I don ’t care ! ’ ’ stormed J ack. ‘ ‘ I won ’t have 
that ugly mutt in here. I hate dogs ! ’ ’ 

“Except to tie tin cans to their tails!” spoke 
Rick, quietly. 

“Go on away from here if you don’t want to 
fight!” warned Jack. “This is our yard and 
we don’t have to let dogs in if we don’t want to.’^ 
“No danger of me letting Ruddy in,” an- 
swered Rick. 


A HAPPY PROSPECT 


51 


‘‘He isn^t a mutt at all. Jack! He’s a fine 
setter!” said Ethel. 

“Um!” was all her brother answered, as he 
hurried in, slamming the gate shut after him. 

“Don’t forget you promised to take me fish- 
ing some day,” whispered Ethel to Rick, as he 
and Ruddy passed on down the street. 

“I won’t forget,” he replied with a smile. 
“ We ’ll take Ruddy along ! ’ ’ 

“That’ll be fine!” she declared, her eyes 
sparkling as though nothing had ever happened 
to them. 

“Rick, who broke the molasses jug!” his 
mother asked as boy and dog came racing 
and bounding into the yard a little later. 

“Molasses jug!” repeated Rick, and then 
his mind became a jumble of queer thoughts. 

“Yes, our molasses jug. I sent you to the 
store to have it filled, and when I came back it 
was broken on the ground at the side of the 
porch. ’ ’ 

“Molasses jug! Broken!” exclaimed Rick. 
“Why, I set it on the porch, and then Chot and 
I went to play ball. Ruddy, he went down to- 
ward the lake and— that’s how it happened!” 
he suddenly cried. 


52 RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 

‘^How what happened his mother asked. 

‘‘How the molasses jng got broken! Ruddy 
must have bumped against it, and then rolled 
over in the stuff. But where did he get the 
feathers!’^ 

“Feathers!’’ repeated Mrs. Dalton wonder- 
ingly. “Is this a riddle, Rick!” 

“You’d ’a’ thought so if you’d seen Ruddy, 
all covered with feathers,” the boy went on. 
‘ ‘ He sure was a sight. But where did they come 
from! Ruddy must ’a’ jumped against the jug 
and broke it. I guess Jack Slade didn’t do it 
after all,” and Rick explained how he had met 
the other boys. 

It was not until Mrs. Munroe came over a lit- 
tle later, to find out how Ruddy fared, that the 
story of her feather pillows, the chase after the 
cat and the resulting covering of the dog with 
the chicken foliage was learned. 

“So that’s how it happened!” exclaimed 
Rick, when the story had been pieced to- 
gether. 

“Oh, I wish I could have seen Ruddy when 
he looked like a big rooster ! ’ ’ exclaimed Mazie. 

“Y'ou’d ’a’ felt sorry for him,” declared her 
brother. “But he’s all right now. I’m going 


A HAPPY PROSPECT 


53 


to take Ethel Slade fishing some day,’’ he 
went on. 

“Oh, may I come?” begged Mazie. 

“Sure,” answered Rick, for he and his sister 
were great chums, and Mazie could put a worm 
on the hook almost as good as a boy. 

“Well, you’d better go get me some more 
molasses,” suggested Mrs. Dalton. “Mazie 
wants to make some candy, and ” 

“Oh, I’ll go!” cried Rick. “And I’m sorry 
Ruddy spilled the other. I wonder whose cat 
he chased. I hope it wasn’t Ethel’s.” 

“My, he’s getting awful fond of her all of a 
sudden!” laughed Mazie to her mother. 

“I am not ! Anyhow, she likes Ruddy, if her 
mean red-haired brother doesn’t, and I wouldn’t 
want my dog to chase her cat ! ’ ’ declared Rick. 

He was half way down the walk, on his way 
to the store, with Ruddy following, when Harry 
Taylor, Scout Master of Troop 1, Black Eagle 
Patrol, came along the street. 

“Oh, Rick! Just the one I’m looking for,” 
said Harry. “Don’t you want to come camping 
with us next week?” 

“Camping?” cried Rick, his eyes sparkling 
at the happy prospect. ‘ ^ Who ’s going ? ’ ’ 


54 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘ * Oil, a lot of your Boy Scout chums. I haven ^t 
asked Chot and Tom, yet, but I’m going to. 
We’re going to camp for a month or more at 
Lake Evergreen. Do you think you can be 
with us?” 

‘ ‘ Oh, it would he great ! ’ ’ cried Rick. * ‘ Can 
I go, mother?” he called out, hastening back to- 
ward the house. 

‘‘Where?” 

“Camping with the Boy Scouts. Here’s 
Harry Taylor. He wants me to go, and Tom 
and Chot are going!” 

“I’m not so sure of that,” said the Scout Mas- 
ter with a laugh at Rick’s eagerness. “They 
may not be allowed, though I hope they will. 
Could you let Rick come, Mrs Dalton?” 

“Why, yes, I guess so, if his father says it’s 
all right,” was the answer, for Mrs. Dalton had 
not forgotten how Harry and some Boy Scouts 
had helped Rick get back Ruddy when the old 
sailor took him to the shack of the junk man 
the year before. 

“Oh, Zowie!” cried Rick, and he tossed up 
into the air the tin can his mother had given him 
in which to get more molasses. “Oh, boy! 
Camp! This is great!” 


CHAPTER VI 


OFF TO CAMP 

R ick DALTON was so excited, at the pros- 
pect of camping with the Boy Scouts, 
that he hardly wanted to go to the store after 
the molasses. 

‘‘Let’s hike right down to my father’s place 
and ask him if I can’t go,” said Rick to Harry, 
the Scout Master. ‘ ‘ He ’ll say I can, as long as 
my mother says so. ’ ’ 

“But I need the molasses, son,” called Mrs. 
Dalton with a smile. 

“And I have to go see if Tom and Chot can 
go,” remarked Harry. “Why not come along 
with me, Rick, and go to the store too! You 
can stop and see your chums, and tell them there 
is a chance that you may go camping. I’ll tell 
their mothers you are willing that Rick should 
go to the lake with us, ’ ’ he said to Mrs. Dalton. 
“Yes, I know Rick would be all right with 
55 


56 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


the Boy Scouts,’’ his mother said. ‘‘But of 
course he’ll have to ask his father.” 

“Oh, sure! But I know he’ll say yes!” de- 
clared Rick. 

“I wish I could go camping,” spoke Mazie 
wistfully as her brother and the Scout Master, 
with Ruddy frisking around them, went down 
the street. 

“Well, it would be nice,” her mother said. 

‘ ‘ But if Rick goes away you and I, and perhaps 
daddy, will go to Grandma’s.” 

“Oh, that will be as much fun as camping,” 
Mazie cried in delight. 

“Will we live in a tent, and have everything 
like a real camp!” asked Rick of the Scout 
Master, as the two trudged along the Belemere 
street. 

“Oh, yes, it will be a regular camp,” answered 
Harry Taylor. “I do hope you can go.” 

“You don’t hope it any more than I do,” de- 
clared Rick. ‘ ‘ There ’s Chot now ! Hi, Chot ! ’ ’ 
he shouted. “We’re going camping! Oh, 
Zowie!” 

“Don’t be too sure,” cautioned the Scout 
Master, but he could not blame Rick for be- 
ing so excited. It was now summer, the feeling 


OFF TO CAMP 


57 


was in the blood of every regular boy that he 
wanted to live in the open, near some water 
and wear his old clothes, doing as much as pos- 
sible as he pleased — and camp was the only 
place where this could be done. 

‘‘Camp! Oh, lollypops!” cried Chot, when 
told of the plan. “Wait until I ask my mother. ’ ’ 

Mrs. Benson, after a brief consideration of 
the matter, said, as had Mrs. Dalton, that her 
husband must decide whether or not Chot could 
go. And Tom Martinis mother answered like- 
wise. But Eick, Chot and Tom felt sure their 
fathers would agree. 

“Let me know to-night, or to-morrow morn- 
ing, whether you can go,” requested the Scout 
Master as he hurried along to tell some of the 
other prospective campers of the plans. He 
left Rick, Chot and Tom talking delightedly 
and excitedly together, and called a word of 
caution to the master of Ruddy. 

“Don^t forget your mother’s molasses, Rick. 
Remember, you’re a Boy Scout, and we want 
to take to camp only those with perfect rec- 
ords.” 

“I’ll get the molasses!” promised Rick. 
“Come on, fellows!” he called to his two most 


58 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


particular chums. ‘‘We can talk about camp 
on the way. ’ ’ 

And they did — ^to their hearts ’ content. They 
were so much in earnest about it — telling each 
other how they would fish and swim, to say 
nothing of going on hikes — that Eick barely 
reached the store to get the molasses before it 
was about to close. But by racing at the last 
minute he managed to be the last customer to 
squeeze in. 

“What’s the hurry?” asked Mr. Brown, the 
storekeeper. “Got company at your house?” 

“No, but I’m going camping.” 

“With molasses?” and Mr. Brown looked 
over the tops of his glasses as he bent down to 
open the faucet of the molasses barrel. 

‘ ‘ Oh, no, ’ ’ laughed Eick. ‘ ‘ That ’s for Mazie ’s 
candy. Euddy spilled the jug full I got here a 
while ago.” 

“Good land!” exclaimed Mr. Brown, as the 
thick, sweet stuff began to fill the can. “I was 
wonderin’ why you come back so soon ag’in. 
So the dog spilled it?” 

“ Yep ! Chasing after a cat. ’ ’ 

“Wa’al, I want t’ know! Kinder expensive 
dog t’ have around, ain’t he, Eick?” 


OFF TO CAMP 


59 


‘‘Oh, well, he doesn^t break a molasses jug 
every day,’’ and Rick took the can and hurried 
back home, his thoughts filled with the joys 
of camp life. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dalton talked the matter over 
that evening, after Rick and Mazie had gone 
to bed, and they decided that Rick might go 
camping to Lake Evergreen with the Boy 
Scouts. 

“It’s a fine organization, and a hoy can’t 
have too much of camp life, if it’s the right 
kind,” said Mr. Dalton. 

His wife agreed with him, and the next morn- 
ing Rick learned, to his great joy, that he was 
to spend most of the summer in a tent, with 
other boys. Hardly had he ceased wildly jump- 
ing around with Ruddy to celebrate the good 
news than Chot and Tom came racing over. 

‘ ‘ I can go ! ” cried Tom. 

‘ ‘ So can I ! ” added Chot. 

‘ ‘ We ’re all three going ! ’ ’ yelled Rick, to show 
that he, too, was included in the joyous trio. 

And then they began feverishly to talk about 
it, ending up with the three of them going off 
together (with Ruddy of course) to tell the 
Scout Master. 


60 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘ ‘ And could I bring Ruddy to camp with me ? ’ ^ 
asked Rick, rather fearful of what the answer 
would be. 

“Bring Ruddy? Of course!’^ answered 
Henry Taylor. “A camp doesn’t amount to a 
hill of beans unless you have a dog, as well as 
boys. Bring Ruddy along!” 

And Ruddy must have known good times 
were in store for him when Rick threw his 
arms about his pet’s neck and hugged him. 

“Oh, Ruddy, we’re going to camp! We’re 
going to camp! Oh, Zowie!” murmured Rick 
over and over again in the dog’s ear. And 
from the manner in which he wagged his tail I 
believe Ruddy must have known what Rick 
said. 

Once it was settled that Rick, Ruddy and the 
boy chums were to go to camp, active prepara- 
tions were started. It was necessary for each 
camper to take along a certain outfit, and the 
Scout Master gave the boys a list of what they 
would need. 

Chot, Tom and Rick were in the latter’s yard 
one day, going over their outfits to make sure 
nothing was missing, when Mrs. Munroe, in 
whose pillow feathers Ruddy had floundered 


OFF TO CAMP 


61 


when covered with molasses, came over to call 
on Mrs. Dalton. As it was a hot day, the two 
ladies sat on the porch, and, when there came 
a lull in the camp preparations Rick and his 
chums could hear the talk of Mrs. Dalton and 
Mrs. Munroe. 

‘‘Did you hear about Mr. Slade asked Mrs. 
Munroe. 

“Nothing special,” answered Rick’s mother, 
and the boys, who could not help hearing what 
was said, listened more closely. 

“Well, there’s something queer about him,” 
went on the caller. “A friend of mine, who 
lives in North Chester, where the Slades moved 
from to come here, says he’s been very queer 
since his wife died.” 

“Oh, is his wife dead? I didn’t know that,” 
said Mrs. Dalton. “I meant to call, but haven’t 
had a chance.” 

“Yes, she’s been dead three or four years. 
Mr. Slade’s sister — ^her first name’s Irma and 
she’s an old maid — she keeps house for him. 
I guess she doesn’t have it easy, either. For 
Ethel, that’s the girl, has something the matter 
with her, and that Jack is a terror, if ever there 
was one!” 


62 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


Eick agreed with this last statement at any 
rate. 

sorry about that poor girl/’ said Mrs. 
Dalton. ‘‘She has spells of blindness. Once 
she wandered into our yard and Eick led her 
out. Another time she was in the woods and 
Euddy found her.” 

“It is too bad,” said Mrs. Munroe. “I hear 
she’s doctoring for her eyes, and maybe she’ll 
get better. But it’s the strangest thing that I 
heard about Mr. Slade. Did you know he was 
hunting for gold?” 

“Hunting for gold?” repeated Mrs. Dalton, 
as her visitor leaned back in her chair, after 
making this strange statement. “Gold here in 
Belemere? There never has been any here. 
You don’t mean that foolish story about Cap- 
tain Kidd, or some pirate, having buried a chest 
of gold somewhere near the beach; do you?” 

“Oh, no,” answered Mrs. Munroe. “This is 
ditferent. But friends of mine have seen him 
wandering in the hills back of Belemere, pick- 
ing up stones, tapping them with a hammer, 
looking at them with one of those funny things 
a jeweler screws on his eye when he fixes your 
watch, and everything like that!” 


OFF TO CAMP 


63 


‘‘Did you hear that?’’ whispered Eick to his 
chums. 

“I don’t believe he’d be looking for gold,” 
declared Chot. 

“Me, either,” added Tom. 

“Listen,” advised Eick, not thinking he and 
his friends were doing wrong in overhearing 
talk that did not seem to be secret. Mrs. Mun- 
roe was speaking again. 

“Mr. Slade surely is queer,” she said. “If 
it isn’t gold he’s looking for it’s something 
valuable. And they say he’s bought a piece of 
land near Evergreen Lake and he’s going to 
start a gold mine there.” 

‘ ‘ Is that so ? I hadn ’t heard, ’ ’ remarked Mrs. 
Dalton. “But I guess you can’t call it a gold 
mine until you get gold out of it.” 

“Well, anyhow, he’s going to start mining 
near Evergreen Lake, ’ ’ said the visitor, and at 
this news the boys looked at one another. 

“That’s where we’re going camping,” whis- 
pered Chot. 

“Yes,” remarked Eick. “I wonder if we’ll 
see Mr. Slade there?” 

‘ ‘ Maybe we ’ll find gold ourselves I ’ ’ suggested 
Tom. 


64 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


They would have listened further, but just 
then the Scout Master came along to advise 
with them about the coming camping trip, and 
there were so many things to talk about that 
Rick and his chums soon forgot the queer story 
Mrs. Munroe had told concerning Mr. Slade. 

Rick, and perhaps Ruddy also, thought the 
time would never come when they were to start 
for camp. But at last the day arrived, and you 
may easily imagine that Rick did not have to 
be called more than once that morning. 

Kits and valises of clothes were packed and 
in readiness, and Chot and Tom assembled at 
Rick’s house as a meeting place. Harry Taylor 
was to call for them in an auto truck in which 
all the Boy Scouts were to be taken to camp 
with their baggage. 

As Rick and his friends, not forgetting 
Ruddy, were waiting with what patience they 
could for the arrival of the Scout Master and the 
truck, Ethel Slade passed. She looked up and 
nodded at Rick and the other boys, no trace of 
her former plight appearing. 

“Hello!” she called, cheerfully. 

Hello!” answered the trio. 


OFF TO CAMP 


^5 


‘‘You’re going camping, aren’t you?” she 
stated, rather than asked. “Up to Evergreen 
Lake. My brother and I are going, too ! ’ ’ 

“You— you are?” gasped Rick, and there was 
a sinking feeling in his heart as he thought of 
the possibility of mean, red-haired Jack Slade 
being camped near where Ruddy would be all 
summer. 

“Yes, my father has bought some land at the 
lake, and we’re going to camp there. I’ll see 
you at camp ! ’ ’ she called back over her shoul- 
der, as she walked down street. “You can take 
me fishing there, Rick!” 

“Um!” he murmured, which might mean one 
thing or another. 

“What part of the lake you going to 
camp on?” asked Chot. 

“Down toward the lower end, wherever that 
is, ’ ’ the girl answered. ‘ ‘ I don ’t know anything 
about it. I’ve never been there. But my father 
says he can find what he wants there. Good- 
by, Rick and Ruddy ! ’ ’ and she waved her hand 
to the dog, who wagged his tail in answer. 
‘ ‘ See you at camp 1 ’ ’ 

“Did you hear that?” whispered Tom to the 


66 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


others. ‘‘Her father is going to dig for gold 
there ! Maybe we can start a gold mine of our 
own!^’ 

But before Rick or Chot could answer the 
auto truck lumbered along, containing the Scout 
Master and several hoys who had been picked 
up on the way. 

“All aboard!” cried Harry Taylor. 

“Good-by, Mother! Good-by, Mazie!” cried 
Rick, as he climbed up. “We’re off to camp!” 

And many strange happenings were to occur 
before he saw home again. 


CHAPTER VII 


A NIGHT ALAKM 

T alking and singing, calling greetings to 
friends they passed in the street, telling 
each other about the glorious times before them, 
the auto truck load of Boy Scouts, including 
Rick and Ruddy, was driven through Belemere, 
and out to the open country leading to Ever- 
green Lake. 

‘ H ’m going to fish every day ! ’ ’ cried Charlie 
Rubin, as he waved his hand to a boy chum; 
who was not lucky enough to be going to camp. 

‘^And I^m going to learn how to swim that 
new crawl stroke,’^ added Hen Marsh. All the 
boys could swim, some better than others, for 
no one was taken by the Scout Master who 
could not look after himself should he chance to 
fall into the water. 

‘ ‘ I want to take some long hikes and stop on 
the road and cook meals,'' was Rick's ambi- 
tion. 


67 


68 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘I wish we could find something new/’ said 
Chot. mean something wonderful, say a 
river no one ever saw before, like Colonel Roose- 
velt did.” 

‘ ^ Huh ! ’ ’ exclaimed Charlie. ‘ ^ I guess all the 
rivers in this part of the country were discov- 
ered years ago! Weren’t they, Mr. Taylor?” 
he asked, for the boys had been taught to call 
the Scout Master by this courteous title, as be- 
fitted the discipline of camp. 

‘‘Yes; I’m afraid there aren’t any rivers left 
to discover — at least not big ones, ’ ’ said Harry, 
as he was called by his older friends. “But 
you boys will find plenty else to discover, I 
fancy. You may find some new birds — at least 
new to you, or new minerals, or something like 
that. Keep your eyes open — that’s one of the 
reasons why you are going to camp, to learn to 
observe and do things for yourself. Nearly all 
great discoveries were made because some one 
used his or her eyes to better advantage than 
some one else. Learn to observe!” 

‘ ‘ ’Member the time we found the skeleton 
of the dead horse?” asked Tom Martin, as he 
moved to one side to let Ruddy edge in between 
him and Rick. 


A NIGHT ALARM 


69 


‘‘Gosli, yes!^^ exclaimed Chot. “First we 
thought it was a giant ^s skeleton.’’ 

“And we ran away,” added Rick, laughing 
at the recollection. 

<^Then we went hack and gathered up the 
bones and sold ’em,” remarked Tom. For the 
boys had done just that. There was a market 
for old bones, at the fertilizer factory not far 
from Belemere, and the lads made pocket money 
by gathering and selling the refuse, as they did 
old iron. 

Gradually the noisy, happy crowd of Boy 
Scouts in the auto truck became more quiet, 
until, as the vehicle swung out on the long road 
that led to Evergreen Lake the lads were talk- 
ing more quietly in little groups, while the Scout 
Master sat with the driver and discussed the 
state of the road, and about how long it would 
take to reach the camping place. 

“I wonder if thajt Slade bunch is really com- 
ing to camp where we are?” said Tom Martin, 
as he, Chot and Rick sat together in the rear of 
the truck, with Ruddy at their feet. 

“Ethel said so, and she ought to know,” com- 
mented Rick. 

“Maybe her father is going to take her away 


70 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


so lier eyes will get better/^ suggested Cbot. 
‘‘I wonder wbat makes her go blind that way, 
anyhow?’^ 

‘‘It is queer,’’ admitted Rick. “But did you 
bear wbat she said about ber father going to 
look for wbat he wants at the lake?” 

“Sure!” assented bis chums. “I’ll bet it’s 
gold!” added Chot. “And if there’s gold in 
one place there’ll be some in another. We can 
discover some, too ! ’ ’ 

“And we won’t tell the others until we’ve 
found it,” said Tom, “else they might laugh 
at us. But of course we ’ll whack up with ’em ! ’ ’ 

“Sure!” agreed Rick, in a low voice. That 
was part of the unwritten Boy Scout law. 

“If only that dinky Jack Slade wasn’t com- 
ing to camp near us it would be all right, ’ ’ said 
Tom. 

“He is a sort of skunk,” admitted Rick. 
“But Ruddy and I’ll steer clear of him; won’t 
we, old fellow?” and he leaned down to pat his 
dog’s head, while Ruddy thumped his tail on 
the floor of the car in answer. 

Thus talking, and speculating on what might 
happen when they reached camp, and hoping 


A NIGHT ALARM 


71 


they would come upon some strange mystery, 
the hoys found the time passing quickly. It was 
noon almost before they realized it, and when 
the auto stopped near a roadside spring, and 
the Scout Master made an announcement, you 
should have heard the shouts of delight that 
followed. 

‘‘Wedl cook grub here!’’ said Harry Taylor. 

“Oh, boy!” shouted Rick, and the others 
chimed in with yells of “Zowie! Let’s eat! 
Get busy! Happy day!” and so on. 

They had brought with them sufficient food 
for two meals, lunch on the way, and supper in 
camp that night. After that they would live 
on the regular camp fare, a considerable quan- 
tity of victuals having been sent on in advance. 

But for the meals on the trip each boy was 
allowed to bring what he pleased, it having 
been suggested that they pack in their kits a 
piece of steak, or some frankfurters which could 
be cooked over an open fire. Bread and butter, 
cheese, crackers and cookies or cakes formed 
the other part of the meal, and there was clear, 
cold water from the spring. 

“Start your fires, boys,” called the Scout 


72 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Master, when the truck had pulled up to one 
side of the road, and the crowd of Scouts had 
descended. ‘ ^ We dl be here for an hour or more, 
so you don’t have to hurry.” 

He gave general supervision to the lads, but 
each one was allowed to do more or less as he 
pleased, for it is the aim of Boy Scout activ- 
ities to make its members self-reliant. The lads 
formed into little groups, several cooking at 
one fire. 

They did not produce a blaze by the ancient 
method of twirling a pointed stick, by means 
of a bow string, in a little wooden pit, the fric- 
tion setting some ‘ ‘ punk ’ ’ aglow. Each boy was 
capable of doing that, however, but this time 
the more efficient and speedier match was used. 

Soon appetizing odors filled the air, and a lit- 
tle later the lads were sitting on the grassy 
bank, beneath the trees, eating what they had 
cooked. What if some steaks were a bit burned, 
and others had fallen into the ashes, many bits 
of ember clinging to the meat? 

‘Ht only makes it taste all the better,” said 
Rick, as he picked a piece of charcoal otf the 
chop he was eating. He tossed Ruddy the re- 
maining bone, and the dog began to eat it right 


A NIGHT ALARM 


73 


from the ground, getting a considerable amount 
of grit in with his food, it seemed. 

But dogs must take their food that way. Did 
you ever give a dog a bone on a plate and notice 
how quickly he dragged the dainty off the china 
to the dirty ground to gnaw it? 

There are two reasons for this. One is that 
the ground, being more rough, gives the dog a 
better chance to get a hold on the bone. The 
other is that a certain amount of earth and grit 
is as good for a dog as it is for a chicken, which 
has no teeth. A dog’s stomach is not like a 
boy’s, for it can digest almost anything. A 
dog’s stomach is made for rough food, and even 
bits of bone, swallowed, can be dissolved in the 
juices that flow over it after a dog has gulped 
it down. So if you want your dog, or cat, either, 
to be healthful, give them their food, at least 
sometimes, right on the ground, without a plate 
or dish. 

Lunch over, the boys played about for a 
while, or sat in the shade, for the day was hot, 
and then the trip was resumed. It was planned 
to reach the camping place early in the after- 
noon, to allow time to erect the tents and get 
the grounds in shape before night, and this 


74 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


program was carried out. There were no acci- 
dents or delays, and about 3 o ’clock Hen Marsh 
set up a sudden cry: 
see the lake!” 

A moment later this was taken up by the other 
lads who, like Henry, had glimpsed the blue 
water through' the dark green of the fir trees, 
after which the lake was named. 

‘‘Yes, here we are!” said the Scout Master. 
“Pile out, boys, and we’ll start on the tents.” 

The supplies had all arrived, and were ar- 
ranged in an orderly stack near the unerected 
tents. The lads disposed of their belongings 
which they had brought with them in the truck, 
and, taking olf coats, and rolling up their 
sleeves, they were soon busy. 

In less time than you would have believed 
possible, most of the tents, including the large 
dining one and the smaller cooking one, were 
erected over the wooden platforms which had 
been down before the Scouts arrived. This was 
the former camping ground of different troops 
of Black Eagle Patrol, and most of the rough 
work had been done in advance. 

So that before it began to get dark, or even 
dusk, “Camp Taylor,” as it had been named 


A NIGHT ALARM 


75 


in honor of the Scout Master, was in pretty fair 
shape. 

The cooking was to be done on a large oil 
stove, with an oven attachment, so it was not 
necessary to provide wood except for the pic- 
turesque camp fire, and this was done. Water 
for drinking purposes was ‘ ‘ toted from a 
nearby spring. 

‘^May we go down to the lake and in the 
boats r’ asked Chot of the Scout Master, for it 
was an ironclad rule that no boy was to go on, 
or in, the water without permission. Thus the 
lads were checked up, and the danger of drown- 
ing made less, since boys were forbidden to go 
in boats or swim alone. Help would always he 
at hand. 

During the quiet evening that succeeded the 
bustle of settling camp, the lads rowed about 
the beautiful lake in the boats that had been 
provided, several being found tied to a little 
dock when they arrived. 

Then, after a session of sitting about the 
cheerful blaze, talking, singing songs and telling 
stories, the Scout Master began to arrange for 
the night. 

Each of the smaller tents held four single 


76 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


cots, and in with Chot, Tom and Rick was put 
Hen Marsh. The four lads were regular chums, 
and this arrangement suited them exactly. 

It was not to be expected that the boys would 
get to sleep early, when there was so much un- 
usual excitement, and the Scout Master made 
allowances for this. But at last the final out- 
bursts of laughter were stilled, and quiet settled 
down over Camp Taylor. 

It must have been long after midnight that 
Rick was awakened by the barking of Ruddy. 
The dog had been given a place to sleep, on 
a bit of canvas, just outside his master’s tent. 
Now his bark, not loud, but warningly, fell on 
Rick’s ear. 

The boy sat up on his cot, and, for a moment, 
could not remember where he was. It was all 
so different from his little bedroom at home. 

But, as he looked out through the half-opened 
flap, and saw the lantern burning on the pole 
of the dining tent, and noted by its gleams the 
forms of his chums about him, Rick remem- 
bered. 

‘‘Oh, I’m in camp,” he half whispered. Then, 
as Ruddy barked again in low tones, Rick whis- 
pered. 


A NIGHT ALARM 77 

‘‘Quiet, old fellow! What^s the matter? 
Don’t wake everybody up just because you smell 
a cat— unless it’s a wildcat ! ’ ’ and at this thought 
Rick gave a start. Suppose it should be some 
wild beast? 

A moment later there was a crashing sound 
at the rear of the tent in which were Rick and 
his chums. And then through the back, in be- 
tween the flaps, was thrust a big head, with 
great eyes and a wide-open mouth of large teeth. 

‘ ‘ Oh ! Oh ! ’ ’ cried Rick in terror, having only 
a partial view of this disturbing vision from the 
faint gleams of the lantern outside. “Oh, wake 
up, fellows!’’ 


CHAPTEE VIII 


STRANGE NOISES 

i If THAT’S the matter?” cried Chot. 

V V <‘Is the house on fire — I mean the 
tent?” asked Tom. 

‘‘Who’s hurt?” demanded Hen Marsh. 

The three tent-mates of Eick sat up on their 
cots and in the dim light that filtered through 
the canvas from the lantern that was kept burn- 
ing all night, they saw Eick pointing at some- 
thing in the rear of their own shelter. 

“Look!” gasped Eick. And as he spoke 
Euddy rushed in and began barking loudly. 

The great head with the gleaming eyes and 
the rows of big, white teeth was shaken from 
side to side, thereby causing the tent to vibrate. 

“Wliat in the world!” began Chot. 

“WThy — it’s a — ^horse!” cried Tom. 

“A horse?” questioned Eick. 

78 


STRANGE NOISES 


79 


“Just a horse! He’s stuck his head in 
through the tent flaps, ’ ’ went on Tom. ‘ ‘ What ’s 
the matter with you, anyhow, Rick, to be scared 
of a horse?” 

“Oh, a horse,** repeated Rick, still half asleep 
it seemed. And Ruddy, now that he caught the 
odor of an animal he well knew, and counted 
as one of his chief friends, no longer barked. 
For dogs depend more on the smell of objects, 
even their own masters, to identify them, rather 
than by sight. A dog has very poor eyesight, 
compared to boys and many other animals. 
But dogs have very keen noses, more sharp than 
even some of their kindred of the wild. And 
Ruddy loved horses, as all dogs do. 

“What’s the matter here, boys?” asked the 
Scout Master, thrusting his head in the tent of 
our four “heroes,” and flashing on them the 
gleam of an electric torch he carried. “There 
must be no cutting up, you know; it isn’t fair 
to the other fellows. You’ve awakened some 
of them already. ’ ’ 

This was true, for about the camp, coming 
from the various tents, could be heard the mur- 
mur of voices asking : 

“WTiat’s the matter?” 


80 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘We weren’t cutting up, Mr. Taylor,” said 
Chot. 

“Rick saw sometliing, but it was only a 
horse,” added Tom. 

“It came in the tent,” spoke Rick, half laugh- 
ing, now, at his own fright. 

“A horse in your tent!” exclaimed Harry 
Taylor. He opened the front flaps wider and 
stepped in. As he did so the horse, who seemed 
more curious than anything else, pulled his head 
back through the rear flaps, his hasty action 
nearly bringing down the shelter. 

“Guess it’s some farmer’s horse that strayed 
out of the pasture,” said Chot. 

“It gave me a scare all right,” admitted 
Rick. “Woke me up out of a sleep. First I 
heard Ruddy barking, and then I saw this big 
head right over me.” As a matter of fact the 
horse had thrust his head in directly over Rick’s 
cot. And the dim light, and being awakened 
from a sound sleep, accounted for the boy not 
at first recognizing the features of the equine 
quadruped. 

“Hum!” said the Scout Master, smiling. 
“This might be called a sort of nightmare. 


STRANGE NOISES 


81 


Well, go to sleep, fellows. It’s quite some time 
until morning. I might as well lead the horse 
far enough away so it won’t disturb us again.” 

He went outside and the boy campers could 
hear him tramping through the underbrush and 
leading the steed to some other browsing place. 

There were no other disturbances that night 
and when the boys awahened and saw that 
a beautiful sunshiny day awaited them, there 
was much laughter and joking over Rick’s 
‘‘nightmare,” as it was called. 

There were a number of duties to be per- 
formed about camp, to get it “shipshape,” be- 
fore the lads could be allowed to do as they 
pleased, but when these had been executed to 
the satisfaction of the Scout Master, Rick and 
his particular chums Hen, Chot and Tom were 
allowed to go fishing. 

Of course Ruddy went with them. 

Several streams flowed into Lake Evergreen, 
which was as often called Evergreen Lake, and 
among these was one, almost a river in size, 
which provided good sport with rod and line. 
So, soon after breakfast (and never did a meal 
taste so good) Rick and his chums were scat- 


82 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


tered along the shady hanks of Spruce Eiver, 
eagerly watching the green cork ‘‘bobs’^ to see 
who would first have a bite. 

The boys were not yet scientific fishermen. 
They knew nothing about wet and dry flies, or 
the gentle art of casting. They were true dis- 
ciples of Izaak Walton, however, in that they 
were in earnest. They were like the lad in the 
story of the bare-footed boy, in ragged clothes 
and a tattered straw hat, seated along a stream 
pulling fish after fish from it. Beside him sat 
a man with an expensive rod, a more expensive 
reel, a varnished box of flies and a creel — 
empty of finny beauties, however. 

‘ ‘ I say, boy ! ’ ’ called the luckless man. ‘ ‘ How 
is it you pull out so many while I can’t get a 
bite?” 

‘^Well,” said the boy slowly, “the main rea- 
son, I reckon, is that I’m fishin’ for fish an’ 
you’re fishin’ for fun!^^ 

But Kick and his chums were not only fishing 
for fish but also for fun, and they were re- 
warded with both. In turn they pulled out some 
fat chubs, a form of white fish that is delicious 
fried, a number of good-sized “sunnies,” some 
perch and an occasional bullhead or catfish. 


STRANGE NOISES 


83 


These last are good at certain seasons, but gen- 
erally they have a sort of ^ ‘ muddy flavor in 
the summer. In addition they have to be 
skinned, like an eel, and they possess sharp 
‘‘horns’’ which make an ugly wound if you 
stick yourself on them. 

However, all was “grist” that came to the 
hooks of the boys, and soon they decided they 
had enough to make a “mess” for the camp 
dinner. 

“Let’s go in for a swim,” proposed Hen. 

“’Gainst the rules,” said Chot, as he wound 
his line around the pole he had cut from a wil- 
low tree. “Got to get permission.” 

“All right. Then let’s leave our fish here in 
the pool, and walk back a ways and see if we can 
find anything,” proposed Hen. 

They had strung their catches on strings, 
through the gills of the fish, and to keep them 
fresh had put them back in a rock-riromed pool 
at the edge of the river. There the fish could 
be kept alive until it was time to go home. 

Preceded by Ruddy, who was having the most 
delightful time in the world, the boys tramped 
back among the little hills that sloped down on 
either side of Spruce River. It was a new coun- 


84 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


try to the lads, none of them ever having been 
there before. It was a place of delight, with 
little glades and wooded patches, and beauti- 
fully plumaged birds, many with sweet voices, 
rose up on every side. 

^‘Look out!’’ suddenly called Hen, as he saw 
Rick take a step forward. ‘‘Look out for that 
hole!” 

“What hole?” 

“That one right in front of you. You almost 
went into it. By that rock there! Looks like 
a groundhog’s!” 

Rick turned aside and looked at a slanting 
aperture into which he had, unseeing it, almost 
slipped. It was a large opening, and looked 
exactly like the entrance to the burrow of some 
large rodent. 

“That’s no groundhog’s hole!” declared 
Chot, coming up to take a look, while Ruddy 
sniffed at the edges. 

“What makes you think not?” asked Tom. 

“ ’Cause a groundhog’s hole is slanting. So’s 
a fox’s. This hole goes straight down. No 
animal could go down a hole Hke this. Besides, 
look at Ruddy. He isn’t bothering even to sniff 
at it, and if there was some animal that had 


STRANGE NOISES 


85 


gone down it you’d find Ruddy digging to beat 
the band — ^wouldn’t you, Rick?” 

‘‘Sure,” answered Ruddy’s young master. 
“I guess no animal ever goes down there.” 

‘ ‘ But what ’s the hole for ? ’ ’ asked Tom. ‘ ‘ It 
must be something ! ’ ' 

Before any of the other lads could answer, or 
make a suggestion, they were all startled by a 
strange noise that came out of the hole. And 
the noise was like that of some deep, booming 
voice which pronounced the words : 

“Gold! Gold!” 

In wonder and amazement the boys stared at 
each other, and then at the mysterious opening 
leading down into the earth. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE FACE OF FIRE 

i can it beT’ whispered Chot. 

V V ‘‘Did you hear it?^^ murmured 
Tom, approaching the hole. 

“It was a voice saying: ‘gold — gold’ as plain 
as anything!’’ declared Hen. 

‘ ‘ It sounded like it, anyhow, ’ ’ remarked Eick, 
also speaking in a low voice as had his chums. 
Somehow low tones seemed to be the proper 
ones to use on this occasion, confronted, as the 
boys were, by that mysterious hole in the 
ground. 

‘ ‘ The voice did come out of there — that hole — 
didn’t it?” asked Eick, as if in doubt. 

‘ ‘ Sure ! ’ ’ chorused the others, speaking more 
loudly now. 

“Unless some one was playing a trick on 
us,” suggested Tom, after a moment’s thought. 
“There might be a sort of echo among the hills, 
86 


THE FACE OF FIRE 


87 


and it did sound a little like an echo. If some 
of the other fellows were hiding and yell- 
ing '' 

‘‘They must be down in that hole to have 
made their voices come out the way they did, ’ ^ 
declared Chot. “And I donT believe any of 
our fellows came over this way.’^ 

“Tell you what!’’ suddenly exclaimed Rick, 
while Ruddy sat on his haunches near his mas- 
ter, waiting developments. “We can drop some 
stones down that hole, and see what happens. If 
it is any of our hunch that’ll let ’em know we 
are on to their trick ! ’ ’ 

“Let’s do it !” agreed Tom, and the boys, for- 
getting their first fears in the joy of doing some- 
thing — perhaps playing a trick back on some 
comrades — gathered up handfuls of stones. 
Approaching the edge of the hole, but not get- 
ting too near for fear of having it cave in with 
them, they tossed the rocks down. The hole 
was about a foot, perhaps more, in diameter. 

“Listen, fellows, and see how long it takes 
the stones to get to the bottom,” suggested Hen. 
“Then we can tell how deep it is.” 

Just how the boys could do this I do not 
know. Of course if they had known how rapidly 


88 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


a stone falls in the first second of time, and how 
much faster it falls the next second, and had 
some way of keeping track of the number of 
seconds that passed from the time they dropped 
the rock until they heard it land, they might 
have been able to figure out the depth of the 
hole. But it would need a deal of mathematical 
work, beyond the usual powers of boys of their 
age. 

‘‘Let’s drop ’em one at a time,” suggested 
Chot. “You go first, Rick; your stone’s the 
biggest. ’ ’ 

Rick tossed his stone down the hole, and the 
others waited anxiously for the resounding 
crash that would tell when it had reached the 
bottom. They heard it strike against the sides 
of the shaft, or hole — rocky sides they seemed 
to be — but there was no separate, distinct thud 
to indicate when the chunk of mineral reached 
the bottom. 

“Must be pretty deep,” said Tom. 

“Let’s drop another,” said Hen. 

This was done — they all dropped their stones 
— ^but they could not decide how deep the hole 
was. And then, when the last rock had clattered 
down, as suddenly as it had happened before. 


THE FACE OF FIRE 


89 


came that deep, booming voice sound again. 
And once more it said, or seemed to say : 

‘‘Gold! Gold!’^ 

In fright the boys stared at each other, and 
then they slunk away in silence — and Ruddy, in 
some strange manner alarmed, perhaps, by the 
actions of the boys themselves, also cringed 
away from that mysterious opening. 

‘ ‘ Somebody ^s down there ! ’ ’ declared Rick. 

“We ought to go tell Mr. Taylor,’’ said 
Hen. 

“Let’s!” proposed Chot, while Rick, speak- 
ing again, said: 

“I know who it is!” 

“Who?” chorused his chums, looking back 
toward the hole, when some distance away 
from it. 

“It’s Mr. Slade! He’s come here to look for 
gold, just as Ethel said he would, and he’s 
found it!” 

‘ ‘ But where is he ? ” asked Chot. ‘ ‘ How does 
his voice come up out of that hole ? ’ ’ 

“It comes up ’cause there’s a bigger hole, or 
cave, under that,” declared Rick. “His voice 
comes up like out of a chinmey. That’s who it 
is — Mr. Slade is down there!” 


90 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘^But we haven’t seen him or Jack or Ethel 
around here,” objected Hen. 

‘^They must ’a’ just come,” Rick went on. 
hope we didn’t drop any rocks on ’em!” 

‘‘You’d ’a’ heard ’em yell if we had,” de- 
clared Tom. ‘ ‘ But did Ethel say her father was 
coming here after gold?” 

“Well, she didn’t say that — exactly, ad- 
mitted Rick. “But she said he’d bought some 
land here and was coming up to look for some- 
thing, and it must be gold.” 

“Might be silver,^ ^ asserted Tom. 

“Well, either one,” admitted Rick. “Any- 
how, we’d better tell Mr. Taylor.” 

The Scout Master only laughed when the boys 
told him what had happened, and what they 
thought had happened. 

‘ ‘ I guess it was only the wind, ’ ’ he said. 

“The wind?” cried Rick. 

“Yes. You probably stumbled on some old 
sink hole — a place where water used to run 
down. There’s probably an old water course 
under ground there, and it leads to that hole — 
perhaps to several others. The wind blows 
across the top of one hole, as you blow over the 
mouth of an empty bottle and make a noise. 


THE FACE OF FIRE 


91 


The wind makes the same sort of sound. Then 
this sound traveled from one hole to the other, 
and sounded like a voice saying ^ Gold’ or ‘Cold’ 
or anything else you cared to imagine. You 
boys were thinking so much of gold that you 
took it for granted that was the word.” 

“Is there any gold around here, Mr. Taylor?” 
asked Hen Marsh. 

“I wouldn’t say there wasn’t, but I never 
heard of any being found in this locality. It 
isn ’t a gold country. But we are going to have 
some boat races this afternoon, and you fel- 
lows had better get ready. That’s a fine lot 
of fish you got,” he complimented the lads. 
They had stopped for their strings of catches 
on coming away from the mysterious hole. 

“Well, maybe he’s right, and it was the 
wind,” said Rick to his chums as they helped 
get the noonday meal. “But it sounded like a 
voice. ’ ’ 

“It sure did,” agreed his chums. 

There was so much excitement over the im- 
promptu boat race, and so many other forms of 
sport around the camp for the next week, that 
Rick and his chums almost forgot about the 
queer hole. They did not go back to it, and the 


92 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


other fellows, accepting the Scout Master’s ex- 
planation that the sound was caused by the 
wind, said they’d visit it some other time. 

The boys hiked along the shores of the lake, 
and Rick and his particular cronies kept a look- 
out for any sign of Ethel, her father or the red- 
haired Jack. But the Slades did not appear to 
have yet come to camp at Evergreen Lake. 

Ruddy enjoyed camp life fully as much as 
did Rick, and the dog went everywhere his mas- 
ter went with his chums. They were permitted 
to rove about as they pleased, within reason, 
but they must always tell the Scout Master 
where they were going, so he could keep track 
of them. 

Late one afternoon, having gone on a tramp 
to a distant cave, and finding it very disap- 
pointing as regards size, Rick and his three 
chums, with Ruddy of course, found themselves, 
as dusk came on, more than a mile from camp. 

‘^We’d better run,” suggested Chot, when 
the shadows began to lengthen. “We’ll be late 
for grub now.” 

‘^All right, let’s run,” suggested Rick. 

They were among the hills — the same chain 
of low elevations amid which they had found 


THE FACE OF FIRE 93 

the queer hole a week previous, and the trail led 
downward to the lake and their camp. 

Suddenly Chot, who was in the lead, stum- 
bled as they were leaving a rocky defile. To 
save himself he put out his hand and grasped a 
bush that was growing on a little ledge of earth 
at one side of the rocky wall of the gorge. The 
bush came away in his grasp, and there fol- 
lowed a small landslide of stones, earth and 
other bushes and shrubs that had taken root in 
the shallow soil which found lodgment on the 
uneven surface of the ledge. 

‘‘Hurt yourself?’’ called Rick to his chum, 
while Ruddy ran up, barking, to know the cause 
of the excitement. 

“No,” answered Chot. “But look! There’s 
a big hole! It leads into a cave, fellows!” 

And, as they crowded around him in the fast- 
gathering darkness, they saw that when the 
bush had been pulled out it had taken with it 
dirt and stones that had filled up a sort of 
crack, or crevice, in the rocky side of the defile. 
And it was through this opening that the boys 
now gazed. 

“It is a cave!” gasped Tom. 

“A big one, too!” added Rick. 


94 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘Now we’ve got something to show the oth- 
ers ! ’ ’ cried Hen. 

They stood in a group, looking into a black 
opening, the size of which they could only 
guess at. 

“Let’s go in,” suggested Chot, starting to 
climb over'the mass of earth, stones and crushed 
shrubbery that had fallen out of the crack, mak- 
ing the opening. ‘ ‘ Let ’s go in ! ” 

Daringly, yet with no little fear, his chums 
followed. And as they stepped a short distance 
into what proved, later, to be a cave of consid- 
erable size, Rick gave a cry of wonder and fear 
and called out : 

“Look! Look! The face of fire!” 

The others gazed toward where he pointed, 
and there, seemingly staring at them from the 
black depths, was a grinning countenance of 
pale, flickering, waving flames! 


CHAPTER X 


IN THE CAVE 

^ ^X^THAT is itr’ gasped Hen Marsh. 
VV < ‘ A ghost ! ’ ’ declared Chot. 

‘‘A giant said Tom. 

Rick gave a short laugh, and pointed to 
Ruddy. The dog had run part way into the 
opening, and now stood, waiting for the hoys 
to follow. They could just about make out his 
form. 

‘‘There aren’t any ghosts!” declared Rick. 
“And giants are jolly if you happen to meet 
any. There’s nothing scary about this, or 
Ruddy wouldn’t go in. You can depend on a 
dog when you can’t on yourself. Look, Ruddy 
isn’t afraid!” 

“Well, it’s scary all right!” declared Hen. 
‘ ‘ Gosh ! It ’s making snoots at us ! ” 

Indeed the face of fire did appear to he con- 
torting itself at the four boys. There was no 
95 


96 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


doubt that it was a face of flames — at least the 
outline of the face, with big, leering eyes and a 
cruel mouth. There did not seem to be a body. 

‘‘Let’s go in,” suggested Rick. “I guess 
we’ve struck another cave, fellows. Maybe it’s 
got gold in, or something like that. Let’s 
go in!” 

But Chot, Tom and Hen hung back. They 
were as brave as Rick under ordinary circum- 
stances, but they did not like that grinning face 
of fire. Besides, Rick was the only one who 
had a dog, though, to be sure. Ruddy was equally 
friendly with all four lads. 

“Go in? I guess not!” cried Tom. “I’m 
going to scoot back to camp and tell Mr. 
Taylor.” 

“I guess we had better do that,” added Chot. 
“Maybe there’s tramps in this cave, and they’ve 
set fire to it. That’s what makes the face.” 

“That face isn’t burning,” declared Rick. 
“It’s electricity, or something like that — not 
real fire. And it’s on rock, too. You can see 
the rocky wall. ’ ’ 

This was all true enough. But, even though 
the other boys were sure there was nothing 
ghost-like about the face of fire, they still did 


IN THE CAVE 


97 


not want to go in the cave, the opening to 
which they had discovered by accident. 

‘‘I think we’d better go back to camp,” sug- 
gested Tom. 

‘‘Well, maybe we had,” asserted Eick. 
“Come on. Ruddy!” 

The dog came running out in answer to his 
young master’s whistle, and together the four 
Scouts scrambled from the defile and made their 
way to level ground. It was lighter out in the 
open, where a few last sunset rays remained, 
and the courage of the lads revived. 

“What do you reckon it was?” asked Hen. 

“Maybe a volcano,” suggested Chot. “Vol- 
canoes have fire in ’em.” 

“There aren’t any volcanoes around here,” 
declared Rick, who was pretty well up in his 
physical geography and natural history. “But 
we’ll tell Mr. Taylor about it.” 

And when they reached camp, greatly to the 
relief of the Scout Master, who was beginning 
to worry, they told their story. 

“A face of fire? Nonsense!” laughed Mr. 
Taylor. 

‘ ‘ Yes, it was ! ” all four insisted, and they were 
so much in earnest that, after supper, a night 


98 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


trip to the cave was decided on, to include all 
the Boy Scouts in the party, led by the Master, 
of course. 

“Now, boys, be prepared for a surprise!’^ 
laughed Harry Taylor, for he had had experi- 
ences before in the exaggerated tales of too- 
easily frightened lads. “Where’s the face of 
fire!” 

Rick and his three particular chums had 
reached the fissure through which they had 
looked shortly after sundown. And the sur- 
prise was more on them than on their compan- 
ions. For there was no face of fire to be seen ! 

“That’s queer!” exclaimed Rick. 

“What is?” asked the Scout Master with half 
a smile on his face, as some of the boys could see 
in the light of the moon, which had just risen. 

“The face is gone,” went on Rick. 

“But it was here!” asserted Chot. 

“As sure as watermelons!” added Tom. 

“Could it not have been the rays from the set- 
ting sun, shining in through some crack, and 
making the outline of a face on the rocky wall?” 
asked the Scout Master. “I have seen the sun 
play some queer tricks. Once I saw it so re- 
flected from the surface of a lake, on the bows 


IN THE CAVE 


99 


of a motor boat, that it made the craft seem as 
if all ablaze. A crowd of us ran to the rescue, 
only to be laughed at. ’ ’ 

‘‘This was a real face of fire,’’ declared Hick, 
and his three chums agreed with him. 

“Well, let’s take a look inside,” suggested 
the Scout Master. “Whatever else you fellows 
did, you discovered a larger cave than any I’ve 
ever seen around here. Let’s go in.” 

They were provided with electric flash lights 
— many of them — and these were soon glowing 
in the cave like so many immense fireflies. The 
boys who had seen the “face of fire” pointed 
out on the rocky wall the place against which it 
had been outlined, and Mr. Taylor went close 
to it, sniffing the air as he did so. 

“Do you smell that, boys?” he asked. 

“You mean like old fashioned matches?” in- 
quired Eick. 

“Sulphur, or, rather, phosphorus. That’s 
what your fiery face was made of — phos- 
phorus ! ’ ’ declared Mr. Taylor. 

“But who did it?” came in a chorus from the 
Scouts. 

‘ ‘ That ’s what we ’ve got to find out, ’ ’ said the 
Master. “I can’t believe it just happened. 


100 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


There is no free phosphorus around here, I’m 
sure. Switch out your lights, fellows, and see 
if any of the face outlines remain.” 

Instantly the cave was plunged in darkness,- 
and Ruddy set up a dismal howling until Rick 
called reassuringly: 

‘‘Here I am, old boy!” 

The dog crept to him whining. 

And then, as their eyes became accustomed 
to the gloom of the cavern, into which they had 
penetrated, they saw, faintly flickering on the 
wall, part of the outlines of the great face of 
fire ! It was vague and indefinite, so that it was 
but the most grotesque caricature of a face now, 
but it was there, unmistakably. 

“Well, you were right, after all,” the Scout 
Master admitted to Rick and his three chums. 

‘ ‘ Some one must be playing pranks. We ’ll look 
further into this.” 

He switched on his own electric torch, an ex- 
ample followed by the others, and then Rick, 
looking down, saw that Ruddy had some white 
object in his mouth. 

“Here, boy! Bring it here!” the boy com- 
manded. He feared lest the setter might have 


IN THE CAVE 


101 


picked up something that had held phosphorus, 
and this chemical was poisonous, Rick knew. 

Ruddy advanced, and dropped at Rick’s feet 
a piece of cloth. The boy picked it up, and saw 
it to be a girl’s handkerchief. There was a 
slight odor of perfume on it, that Rick could 
notice even above the rather sickish smell of 
phosphorus in the cave. 

‘‘AVhere have I smelled that before?” Rick 
thought. Then, suddenly, he remembered. 

‘‘Ethel Slade ! She had some of that perfume 
on her when I led her out of our yard. And 
this is her handkerchief!” Unnoticed by the 
others, Rick examined the bit of linen by the 
light of his flash. In one corner were the ini- 
tials E. S. 

“What was she doing in this cave with the 
face of fire?” Rick asked himself, much puzzled. 


CHAPTER XI 


KIVAL CAMPEES 

4 4T^TELL, boys/’ said the Scout Master 
V V after a pause, during which the lads 
had wandered about the cave, not going far, 
however, from their leader, don’t see that 
we can do any more to-night. We had better 
be getting back to camp.” 

‘‘We can explore this cave again; can’t we*?” 
asked Chot. 

“Why, yes, I suppose so. Unless it belongs 
to some one who might object. We’ll have to 
respect the property rights of others, though I 
fancy no one will object to our coming here. If 
it is sufficiently open to permit some one to come 
in and make faces of fire on the rocks with 
phosphorus, I guess we can come and go as we 
please,” said Harry Taylor. 

Rick was glad none of his companions seemed 
to be paying any attention to him and his dog. 

102 


RIVAL CAMPERS 


103 


He did not want to have to explain about EthePs 
handkerchief. He had no idea how it happened 
to be in the cave. 

^^She must have dropped it — ^nobody else 
would be carrying her handkerchief, ’ ’ reasoned 
Rick. ‘‘And yet what was she doing here? I 
don’t believe she would play a trick like making 
a face of fire.’’ 

Yet there was enough doubt in the matter for 
Rick to keep silent. He stuffed the slightly per- 
fumed handkerchief in his pocket, and patted 
Ruddy on the head. His dog so often brought 
to Rick small objects, to be tossed away in order 
that Ruddy might have a joyous run to bring 
them back, that probably any of the boys who 
had seen the setter take Rick the handkerchief 
thought it was only another of Ruddy’s pranks. 

“Could we come back here and find some 
phosphorus?” Hen Marsh wanted to know. 
“Maybe that’s what’s so valuable in this cave,” 
he added. 

“I didn’t know there was anything valuable 
in any caves up here,” said the Scout Master. 
“Who says there is?” 

“Rick,” came the answer in a chorus from 
several of the boys. 


104 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


“How about that, RickT’ asked Harry Tay- 
lor. 

‘^Oh, well,’’ began Rick, somewhat embar- 
rassed. “That red-headed Jack Slade said his 
father was coming up here to camp, and maybe 
look for something — gold maybe. His sister 
said something about it, too, but I don’t remem- 
ber if she said gold or what. Anyhow her father 
bought some land up here and they’re coming 
camping, she said.” 

“Is that so?” exclaimed the Scout Master. 
“I didn’t know any one was to camp here but 
ourselves. However, the woods are plenty large 
enough. But it can’t be gold Mr. Slade is after. 
It must be something else. ’ ’ 

“Maybe phosphorus !” eagerly suggested sev- 
eral of the Scouts. 

Mr. Taylor shook his head. 

“You don’t exactly dig phosphorus out of 
the ground, or find it in caves,” he said. 
“Though of course phosphorus is found in some 
rocks. It also exists in the earth, in plants and 
in the bodies of animals. But most phosphorus 
is made by burning animal bones, powdering 
them and pouring on sulphuric acid and water. 
After these have been mixed the liquid is evap- 


RIVAL CAMPERS 


105 


orated and the dry mass that is left is stirred 
up with powdered charcoal. Then this is heated 
in an iron vessel and becomes phosphorus, which 
is collected under water, to prevent it bursting 
into flames. This phosphorus looks like white 
wax, and it must always be kept under water, 
or else mixed with some other substances, as is 
the case when matches are made from it. 

‘‘Phosphorus is very poisonous, though some 
of its compounds are used in medicine. How- 
ever, I don’t imagine we’ll find any phosphorus 
in this cave, though some was brought here to 
be used in drawing this face on the rocks.” 

“Mr. Taylor,” asked Tom, “isn’t that fox 
fire we sometimes see in the woods made of 
phosphorus!” 

“Some persons call it fox fire,” answered the 
Scout Master, “though more common names 
are will-o’-the-wisp. Jack-o’-lantern and corpse 
candle. The Latin term is ignis fatuus, which 
means ‘fool fire,’ and that name was given be- 
cause in the olden times persons were foolishly 
frightened by it. 

“This ‘fox fire,’ as you call it, is often seen 
as a luminous ball in a swamp, or damp, marshy 
place, and is really caused by the presence of 


106 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


phosphorus in decaying vegetable or animal 
matter. It may also be caused by swamp gases 
which have become ignited, though in that case 
I am not certain that there is phosphorus. 
However, we needn^t worry about discovering 
any valuable treasure of phosphorus in this 
cave, for it simply doesn^t exist. 

‘‘Now, then, let^s hike back to camp. It is 
getting late, and we can come back and ex- 
plore this cave by daylight much better. At 
least we can see the outside much better, for 
I suppose it will be as dark as a pocket inside 
here no matter how brightly the sun shines 
outside. ’ ’ 

Back to camp they went, Rick walking with 
Chot, Tom and Hen, w^hile Ruddy raced here 
and there, following trail after trail of night 
odors — odors that came to him unnoticed by 
the boys. For a dog^s sense of smell is much 
sharper than any boy^s, and he can detect 
smells that are practically “invisible’’ to us. 

So Ruddy ran on, pausing here and there as 
he caught the trail of squirrel, rabbit or other 
woodland creature. Several times he paused 
and barked and whined to attract Rick’s atten- 
tion. But this was not the time for hunting or 


RIVAL CAMPERS 


107 


following any trail, however keen the scent, so 
at Rick’s shrill whistle Ruddy came back. He 
was minding commands much better than the 
time he had run away from his master, on the 
occasion when Rick found Ethel in his yard. 

* ^ But what was she doing in the cave 1 ’ ’ Rick 
asked himself over and over again on the way 
back to camp. ‘‘She must have been there. I 
wouldn’t put it past her brother Jad^ to have 
drawn that face on the rocks to scare us, but 
would she do that?” 

Rick could not answer that question with 
satisfaction to himself. He wanted to investi- 
gate further, and he was glad the Scout Master 
had said they would explore the cave again. 

So, saying nothing to even his closest chums, 
Rick walked on with Ruddy, his fingers, now 
and then, touching the little square of perfumed 
linen at the bottom of his pocket. 

Night in the camp of Troop 1 of the Black 
Eagle Patrol passed quietly enough after the 
excitement of finding the face of fire in the 
strange cave. Once or twice Ruddy gave a bark 
of alarm, but when Rick, or some of the other 
boys, got up to investigate, nothing of moment 
was discovered. On one occasion, though, after 


108 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Ruddy had barked unusually loud, there was 
wafted to camp the faint and unpleasant odor 
of a skunk. 

‘ ‘ Here, Ruddy ! ’ ’ sternly called Rick. ‘ ‘ None 
of that! We don’t want you to invite any pole 
cats to visit us. Keep olf that trail!” 

And I imagine Ruddy was very glad to do 
so. For the liquid ejected from a skunk, used 
as its sole weapon of defense, not only makes 
dogs ill, but may even blind them for a time, 
so powerful is the stuff. And once a dog has 
been sprayed by a skunk it takes many months 
for the odor to vanish. And even though it may 
not be noticeable on the dog in dry weather, 
let that same dog be out in the rain, or jump 
in the brook and — well, a long distance from the 
house is the best place for that dog until he is 
dry again. The dampness will bring out the 
smell almost in its original strength. 

‘‘A dog just naturally hates himself after 
he’s been sprayed by a skunk,” is the way an 
old trapper explained it to me. But we must 
not blame the skunk, for none of them will ever 
eject the fluid without giving two distinct warn- 
ings. 

If ever you meet a skunk on a woodland path. 


RIVAL CAMPERS 


109 


go out of your way to let it pass. If you should 
see a skunk stop, look at you and then tap with 
its forefeet on the ground, turn and walk away. 
That is warning No. 1. If you see a skunk 
turn its back on you and raise its tail, run away 
— donT walk. For raising the tail is warning 
No. 2. 

Knowing something of skunks and their ways, 
how like kittens they look and play, when no 
danger is near, Rick thought it best not to let 
Ruddy take any chances. So the boy chained 
his dog to the tent pole for the remainder of 
the night. 

As some swimming and boating races were 
planned for the next day, and as the day after 
some lads were to try for merit badges, there 
were so many activities in Camp Taylor that 
there was no chance, for some time, to explore 
the mysterious cave. But Rick and his chums 
did not forget the Scout Master’s promise to 
lead them through it at some later time. 

It was at the close of the third day of spe- 
cial camp activities, that, just before supper, 
Rick and his three special chums started on a 
little walk, along a path they had not yet ex- 
plored. 


110 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


It led up one Mil, and down another, toward 
a cove of Evergreen Lake, and it was on getting 
a view of the blue waters of the lake through 
the trees that Rick also saw something else. 

‘‘Look, fellows,’’ he exclaimed. “There’s a 
tent!” 

“Sure enough!” said Chot. 

“They must be camping,” said Tom. 

And as the boys looked down into the little 
glade on the shore of the lake cove, and saw the 
rival camp, a girl in a white dress came out of 
the tent and stood gazing otf across the water. 
With a bark of recognition Ruddy sprang down 
the hill toward her. 

“Here! Come back! Come back!” cried 
Rick, as he, too, saw who the girl was. 


CHAPTER XII 


GOING FISHING 

R uddy was a dog of two minds — ^he did 
not know what to do. He had seen, in the 
rival camp, a girl whom he knew and counted 
as one of his friends — a friend who kindly pat- 
ted him on the head, pulled his ears gently 
and talked to him in the way that delights all 
dogs. On the other hand, there was Rick, his 
master, calling to him to come back. And Rick 
was too good a master to displease by disobey- 
ing. 

So Ruddy stood, half way between Rick and 
the group of boys on one side and the new tents 
on the shore of the cove, for there were two 
tents in the new camp, as Rick and his chums 
observed — one at a little distance from the 
other. 

‘ * Come here. Ruddy ! ^ ’ called Rick, and 
slowly the dog turned and approached his mas- 
ter. 


Ill 


112 


EICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


But at the sound of the boy^s voice the girl, 
who had been looking out across the lake, 
turned and gazed up the hill. She saw the boys 
and the dog and cried: 

‘‘Oh, Ruddy! Ruddy 

Instantly Ruddy cast to the winds all good 
resolutions of obeying Rick, and, in spite of 
calls to return, the setter dashed down the hill 
and presently was capering about the girl, and 
receiving her pattings and ear-pullings. 

“Who are they!” asked Chot. “Ruddy 
seems to know ’em.” 

‘ ‘ That ’s Ethel Slade, ’ ’ Rick answered. ‘ ‘ That 
girl who gets blind every once in a while.” 

“She sees all right now, I guess,” ventured 
Tom. 

“I guess so,” agreed Rick, as he followed, 
with his chums, the path down the hill. He had 
called his dog back because at the first view 
he had known who the girl was, and he feared 
lest her red-haired brother might come out and 
kick Ruddy. But Jack Slade did not seem to 
be in the rival camp. 

“Hello, Rick!” greeted Ethel, as the boy 
strolled up. 

“Hello,” he answered. Then, as the girl 


GOING FISHING 


113 


looked expectantly at his comrades he mentioned 
their names in informal introduction. 

“You got to camp first/ ^ observed Ethel, and 
the boys noticed that her eyes were bright and 
shining, seemingly with no hint of blindness 
in them. 

“Yes,’^ assented Hick. ^^Are you camping 
here?^^ 

“Yes, father. Aunt Irma, Jack and 1.’’ 

“ Jackr’ exclaimed Rick. 

‘^That^s his tent over there,’’ and Ethel 
pointed to the one some distance away amid a 
clump of trees. “He and some of his chums 
sleep there, but they eat in our dining tent. 
We have a cabin, too.” 

“A cabin?” questioned Rick. 

“Yes,” Ethel went on. “Daddy thought it 
would be better for Aunt Irma and me to sleep 
in a cabin, so he bought this one,” and she 
pointed to what the boys had not yet observed — 
a regular log cabin, well built and fitting in 
perfectly with the woodland surroundings. 

“Daddy bought some land here, as I told 
you,” Ethel went on to Rick. “We’re going 
to stay here all summer, and so is Jack. Have 
you seen him yet?” 


114 


EICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘No/^ Rick answered. But he did not add 
what was in his mind — that he didn’t care to 
meet the^red-haired lad. 

‘‘Well, he and Sam Small and Sid Osborne 
are living in that small tent,” Ethel went on. 
“We only came up three days ago. Daddy says 
he is going to prospect up here, ’ ’ she added with 
a merry laugh, which showed how white and 
even were her teeth. “What’s prospect?” she 
asked. 

“Looking for mines,” volunteered Chot. 

“Well, I hope he finds a gold or diamond 
mine,” Ethel went on. “Jack and the other 
boys have gone fishing,” she said. “They 
wouldn’t take me. But you’re going to; aren’t 
you ? ’ ’ she asked Rick. 

Rick blushed under his tan and said : 

“Yes — I — I guess so.” 

“Oh, but you promised ! insisted Ethel. 
“And I want to go very soon! I want to show 
daddy that I can catch a fish. Aunt Irma will 
cook it. There she is now,” she added, as a 
gentle-faced and smiling lady, in a khaki suit, 
such as the girl scouts wear, came to the door 
of the cabin. “Aunt Irma belongs to the Girl 


GOIl^G FISHING 115 

Scouts/^ Ethel explained. going to join, 

too.^^ 

The annt looked toward the group of boys 
and one dog surrounding Ethel, and then came 
forward, nodding pleasantly at Rick and his 
chums. 

'‘This is Rick and that’s Ruddy,” introduced 
Ethel, "and these are Chot, Tom and Henry — 
Oh, I’m going to call you Hen!** she exclaimed 
with a merry laugh. 

' ' Sure ! All the fellows do, ’ ’ said Hen, blush- 
ing almost as redly as Rick had done. 

"I’m sure I’m glad to see you,” said Aunt 
Irma. "I have heard of Rick and Ruddy be- 
fore. ’ ’ 

"Yes’m,” was all Rick could think to an- 
swer. 

"You had better come in and put on your 
Scout suit,” said Ethel’s aunt. "That white 
dress isn’t just the proper outfit for the woods; 
is it, hoys?” she asked, making comrades of 
them at once. "You are almost a Girl Scout, 
so it will do no harm to wear the uniform,” she 
told her niece. "Ethel just returned from a 
trip to the village with her father, which ao- 


116 


EICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


counts for her white dress/’ Miss Slade went 
on. The hoys noticed, half hidden among the 
trees, an automobile. 

Don’t forget you’re going to take me fish- 
ing,” called Ethel to Eick, as she followed her 
aunt into the log cabin. 

‘‘I won’t,” he promised, not daring to look 
at his chums. 

‘‘And bring Ruddy,” she added. 

“All right,” agreed Ruddy’s master, tossing 
a stone into the lake to hide his confusion, while 
the setter ran barking down to the edge of the 
water. 

“She’s a nice girl,” Chot admitted as the 
four boys turned away from the rival camp and 
headed for their own. 

“Not silly and giggling like most of ’em,” 
added Tom. 

“I wouldn’t want to go fishing with her, 
though,” said Hen. 

“Why not?” demanded Rick. 

“Oh, ’cause she’ll scream if she catches a 
fish, and she won’t dare put the worms on the 
hook. ’ ’ 

“That’s where you’re wrong,” quickly de- 
clared Rick. “She isn’t afraid to do that.” 


GOING FISHING 


117 


‘‘Well, if slie gets blind all of a sudden, when 
you're out fishing with her, what you goin' to 
do ? " exclaimed Hen, as if there were no answer. 

“I can lead her back, same as I did before," 
replied Hick. ‘ ‘ But maybe she won 't get blind. ' ' 

“What makes her, anyhow?" Tom wanted to 
know, but Rick could not say. 

The news of rival campers in the vicinity of 
their tents was received in different ways by the 
Boy Scouts. Some did not give it a second 
thought, but others pretended to sneer at girls 
and women coming to live in the woods. 

“They'll be hollerin' around all the while 
that they're seein' snakes, an' want us to come 
an' save 'em!" declared Tim Blakely. 

“I don't believe they will," said Chot, com- 
ing to the defense of Rick's new friends. “If 
a girl isn't afraid to put a worm on a hook she 
isn't going to yell 'cause she sees a garter snake. 
And her aunt looks as if she could take a long 
hike. ' ' 

“She told my mother she once walked a hun- 
dred miles," spoke Rick, for Mrs. Dalton had 
called on the new family in the brick house. 

‘ ‘ A hundred miles I ' ' cried Tim. ‘ ‘ Get out ! " 

“I don't mean in one day, but on a trip she 


118 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


took, ^ Rick explained. ‘ ^ She ’s one of the lead- 
ers of the Girl Scouts.” 

‘‘Oh, that’s different,” Tim admitted, for he 
knew the good standing of that fine organiza- 
tion. 

It was two or three days after this that Rick, 
finding himself comparatively alone in camp, 
his three special chums having gone off on a 
trip to work up points for merit badges, de- 
cided to go fishing. 

“ I ’ll take Ethel, too, if she ’ll come, ’ ’ he said. 
“Might as well, as long as she says I prom- 
ised. And I guess I did. But I hope her brother 
isn’t in camp. Come on. Ruddy!” 

With a joyful bark the dog sprang up from 
where he was sleeping in the sun, and followed 
his master. Rick had a can of worms hidden 
away in preparation for the little excursion and 
soon, with his fishing outfit gathered together, 
he set out toward the rival camp. 

“ If I get a chance I ’ll ask her about the cave, 
and give her back her handkerchief,” mused 
Rick, as he tramped along. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE STONE THEOWER 

^ ^T3 ICK and Ruddy! Oh, I'm so glad you 
JL V came for me! Aunt Irma, I'm going 
fishing with Rick and Ruddy!" cried Ethel in 
delight, as she saw the boy and his dog com- 
ing down the slope that led to the lake cove, 
on the shore of which was located the cabin 
and tents owned by Mr. Slade. 

Ethel wore a khaki suit, one in which she 
could rough it," as could the Boy Scouts in 
theirs. At the sound of her joyous cry her 
aunt came to the door of the cabin, followed by 
a man wearing stout shoes, knickerbockers of 
the golf suit variety and a corduroy coat. He 
had a gun over his arm, though Rick knew 
enough about the game laws to understand that 
this was not the hunting season. He recog- 
nized the man as Mr, Slade. 

^‘I hope he doesn't go hunting out of season," 
119 


120 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


mused Rick, for with the other Boy Scouts he 
had been taught the wisdom and necessity of 
the game laws. 

‘^So you’re going fishing, are you, Rick?” 
asked Mr. Slade as the boy and his dog ap- 
proached. Ethel tells me you are going to 
initiate her.” 

‘ ^ Oh, Daddy ! I know how to fish ! ’ ’ the girl 
exclaimed with a laugh. ‘‘Jack doesn’t think 
so, but I ’m going to show Riok. ’ ’ 

“Where is Jack?” asked her father, and as 
he looked to the lock of his gun Rick fancied 
there was a sterner note in the man’s voice as 
he spoke his son’s name. 

‘ ‘ Oh, he and Sam and Sid went off together, ’ ’ 
Ethel answered. “I didn’t ask them to take 
me. I thought you might come,” she said to 
Rick. 

“I hope we get some fish,” said the hoy. “I 
have a lot of worms.” 

“Where are you going?” asked Mr. Slade. 

“Just around in the cove,” Rick answered. 
“Our Scout Master says there’s good fishing 
right around here.” 

“Well, don’t go too far away,” cautioned 
Aunt Irma. “Ethel isn’t — isn’t very well, but 


THE STONE THROWER 


121 


she’s a lot stronger and better since we have 
come to camp,” she added. 

‘‘I’ll get my pole,” the girl went on, as she 
saw Rick’s can of worms. “Oh, maybe we’ll 
get enough fish for dinner. Daddy !” 

“I hope you do,” said Mr. Slade. “I’ll be 
hungry when I get back.” 

“You’ll be careful; won’t you?” anxiously 
asked his sister as he started off with his gun. 
“Do be careful!” 

“I will,” promised Mr. Slade, and Rick won- 
dered where Ethel’s father could be going with 
a shotgun, when the hunting season had not 
opened, and would not for several months — 
this was midsummer. 

“There’s some mystery up here — the cave, 
the face of fire and finding her handkerchief 
in there,” thought Rick, as he waited for Ethel 
to join him. “I wonder what it is?” and his 
fingers touched the little handkerchief in his 
pocket — not the pocket where he carried his 
knife, a whistle, some bits of cord and vari- 
ous odds and ends. Not that pocket! Rick 
had put the handkerchief all by itself in an- 
other. 

“Now we’re all ready,” said Ethel as she 


122 


EICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


came out of the cabin with a three-piece lance- 
wood rod, almost like Rick^s. They were not 
going to do any scientific fishing — these two — 
they were going to fish for fish. Their poles 
were equipped with simple reels, and Rick liked 
the fun of attaching a bobber^’ to his line, to 
watch it duck under like a miniature submarine 
as a fish took the bait. 

Walking a little way around the cove, hardly 
out of sight of the cabin and tents, Rick and 
Ethel prepared for several hours of happiness 
with rod and line. And in order that he might 
devote his whole attention to the sport in hand, 
Rick decided to get off his mind something that 
was worr^dng him. When they had taken their 
places on a shady bank, with Ruddy stretched 
comfortably between them, their baited hooks 
in the water, Rick drew from his pocket the lit- 
tle handkerchief and, handing it to Ethel, said : 

‘^That’s yours, isn’t itT’ 

<<Why — why — yes!” she exclaimed, looking 
at it in some surprise, and smelling it. 
‘‘ Where ’d you get it?” 

‘‘Found it in the cave.” 

“What cave!” 

“The one with the face of fire.” 


THE STONE THROWER 


123 


‘‘Face of fire!^’ cried Ethel Slade. “Rick 
Dalton ! What do you mean? Tell me all about 
it! Is there a cave around here?’’ 

“Two or three,” answered the boy. “But I 
mean the big one. That’s where I found your 
handkerchief. Ruddy picked it up. I knew it 
was yours by the perfume, and it has your ini- 
tials on.” 

“Yes, Aunt Irma gave me the handkerchief 
and some perfume for Christmas. I just love 
that smell,” and she put it to her dainty little 
nose again. “But how ever did it come in the 
cave, and what’s the face of fire?” 

“I don’t know,” Rick answered. “I mean 
I don’t know how your handkerchief got there. 
But you ought to see that face of fire ! It scared 
us all at first!” 

Then he told of the adventure, while Ethel 
listened eagerly. 

“Oh, will you take me to see it?” begged the 
girl 

“The face is gone,” Rick said, “but the 
cave’ll stay, I reckon. We’re going to explore 
it some day, with our Scout Master. ’ ’ 

“Oh, maybe he’d take me and Aunt Irma 
along,” Ethel said. 


124 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘Maybe,’’ ventured Rick. “Pull up!” be 
suddenly cried. “You ’ve got a bite ! ’ ’ 

To Ethel’s credit I must say she did not 
scream as I have beard many older girls do 
when they caugbt a fisb. Almost as skillfully 
as Rick could bave done, sbe reeled in ber line 
and landed ber fisb, a good-sized percb, wbicb 
was soon flapping on the grass. 

“Poor thing!” murmured Ethel. “But I 
suppose we bave to catch fisb if we want to eat 
them. ’ ’ 

Then she strung ber catch on an extra piece 
of line, as well as Rick could bave done, and 
fastened the percb, thus secured, in a little pool 
of water, to keep alive until it was time to go 
back to camp. 

“Pretty good!” complimented Rick, when 
Ethel had again baited ber book and cast in. 
“ Where ’d you learn I” 

‘ ‘ Oh, daddy showed me. I ’ve often gone fish- 
ing vdtb him — that is, before we came here. 
Since he’s off prospecting he doesn’t get much 
time, and I don’t like to go with Jack — ^he al- 
ways goes with such rough boys, and they 
tease me!” 


THE STONE THROWER 


125 


Eick had his own opinion of Jack and the 
latter ^s chums. 

‘'Oh, youVe got a bite!^^ cried Ethel, as she 
saw her companion's green float dip under. 
And Rick^s catch proved to be a large chub — 
one of the best he had ever landed. 

“I^d like to get one like that,’’ sighed the 
girl. 

‘ ‘ Maybe you will, ’ ’ predicted Rick, and a little 
later Ethel had that luok. 

The Ashing was very good, and the two were 
so interested that they forgot all about the 
cave and the face of fire. Rick could not help 
believing what Ethel had said — that she had, 
never been in the mysterious cavern — and her 
handkerchief, therefore, must have been 
dropped by some one else. 

“But who!” mused Rick, as he carefully 
baited his hook with a wiggling worm. “Must 
have been that red-haired brother of hers, her 
father or Aunt Irma. But if they had been in 
the cave wouldn’t they have told her about it! 
I give up ! There sure is something queer about 
it all!” 

“Oh, what an ugly fish!” suddenly cried 


126 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Ethel, as she suddenly pulled up her line, land- 
ing a flapping specimen on the grass at her 
side. 

‘‘That^s a catfish, or bullhead,’’ Rick in- 
formed her. ‘‘Look out for the horns.” 

“A catfish with horns!” laughed the girl. 
^‘I should think they’d call it a ‘cowfish!’ ” 

“They might,” agreed Rick. He took it off 
the hook for her, as a certain knack was need- 
ful, and she, evidently, did not understand bull- 
heads. “You got to skin it instead of scal- 
ing it, ’ ’ he told her. 

“I’ll let daddy or Jack clean the fish. I can 
do it,” she quickly added, for, be it known, it 
is a poor fisherman who sets out to ge*t a 
“mess” and does not prepare them for the 
pan. “But I don’t like the scales. They stick 
to your hands so ! ” 

“Yes, like glue,” agreed Rick with a laugh. 

By this time they had two good strings of 
fish in the little pool, and Rick was trying to 
judge, by squinting at the sun, if it were not 
nearly noon and time to go back to camp, when 
he was rather startled by hearing Ethel say : 

“I — I think I’d better hurry back to Aunt 
Irma!” 


THE STONE THROWER 


127 


asked Rick. ‘‘Are you — do 

you 

He did not finisR what he started to say, but 
she went on: 

“My eyes feel queer, and I don’t want the 
dark to come when I’m so near the water. It 
makes me — makes me — afraid!” She almost 
whispered the last words. 

“'We’ll go hack right away. Pll carry your 
fish and things,” otfered Rick. 

“Oh, I can do that, thank you,” she replied. 
“It may not come at all.” 

“What makes it?” asked Rick, almost before 
he thought, for he realized that perhaps Ethel 
might riot like to talk about her blindness. 

“Oh, it — well, it was partly Jack’s fault,” 
she said, “though he didn’t mean to. He was 
shooting his bow and arrow one day, and an 
arrow struck me in the eye. I s ’pose I shouldn’t 
have been there when the arrow came down. 
Anyhow, it hurt one eye, and then the other got 
sore and I had to wear glasses — dark glasses. 

‘ ‘ Oh, it was awful, with them on ! And then 
I went out when the sun was shining on the 
snow. The doctor told me to keep my dark 
glasses on always in a bright light, and it was 


128 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


very brigM when the sun sbone on the snow.’^ 

‘‘Did you take the glasses offT’ asked Rick, 
guessing at what was to come. 

“No, I — I didn^t — exactly,’’ Ethel hesitat- 
ingly answered. “But Jack was throwing a 
snowball at a dog, and he missed it and it hit 
my glasses and knocked them off. And the sun 
shone into my eyes and the snow was so bright 
that, ever since, it all gets black at times and 
I can’t see. I’m in the dark! But of course 
Jack didn’t mean it.” 

“No,” assented Rick. But he wondered 
what would have happened, or, rather what 
would not have happened, if her brother had 
not tried to be cruel to a dog by hitting it with 
a snowball. 

“The doctor says it will get over when I grow 
older,” said Ethel, “but it makes me feel funny 
when I have spells that I can’t see. And I 
sort of feel that way now, so we’d better go 
home.” 

“Yes,” agreed Rick, “I guess we had.” 

They were about to start off when suddenly 
a stone crashed through the bushes and landed 
with a thump on the side of Ruddy, who was 







The scout brought the club down as hard as he could 





THE STONE THROWER 


129 


standing near Rick and Ethel, waiting for them 
to start. 

The dog gave a yelp of pain and ran toward 
Rick, who looked angrily around to see who had 
thrown the stone which had landed so cruelly 
against his dog’s tender side. 

And then, with a sneer on his face, through 
the underbrush came Jack Slade. 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 

R uddy no sooner had reached the side of 
his chum, protector and friend — ^by whom 
I mean Rick — than the dog turned, faced the 
red-haired lad and growled, showing his teeth. 
There was something so menacing and savage 
about the setter — ^usually so gentle and kind — 
that even Rick was surprised. Seldom before 
had he seen Ruddy act this way. But then, 
until the advent of Jack Slade, no other boy 
had ever been cruel to -the dog ; that is, since he 
had come out of the sea. 

‘‘Down, Ruddy! Down!’' commanded Rick, 
and the beautiful animal, his brown eyes show- 
ing the effect of the needless pain inflicted on 
his spirit, as well as on his body, sought the 
eyes of Rick, as if asking : 

“Why did he stone me?” 

130 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


131 


For a moment the group stood thus — Jack on 
the edge of the little clearing where Eick and 
Ethel had been fishing, the red-haired bully 
backed up against the bushes. Rick had started 
to spring forward and strike Jack when the dog 
came cringing back, and Ethel, with a strange 
look in her eyes, faced her brother. 

‘‘You — ^you mean thing she cried. “What 
made you hit Ruddy? 

“'Cause!’^ and Jack grinned. “He tried to 
bite me. ’ ^ 

“He never did!’’ hotly declared Rick. “He 
would have made friends with you, but you 
wouldn’t let him. He’s the best dog in the 
world! He’d make friends with anybody — ^but 
you, and now I’ll never let him! I — I’ll make 
him bite you — some day ! ’ ’ 

“Oh, Rick!” gasped Ethel. “Don’t say 
that!” 

“I will!” went on Rick, almost unreasoning 
in his anger. “I’ll make Ruddy hate your 
brother. And I’ll fight him, too! I — I’ll beat 
him as hard as I can. And if I can’t do it I’ll 
get some one who can. I’m not going to have 
him hurting my dog all the while ! ’ ’ 

Rick’s breath was gaspy now— almost as 


132 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


EtheUs had been, and there was a lump in his 
throat that would neither go up nor down. But 
his eyes blazed angrily as he held one hand on 
Ruddy’s head, and shook his other fist at Jack 
Slade. 

^ ^ I ’ll fix you for this ! ’ ’ threatened Rick. ‘ ^ I ’ll 
make you pay for hitting Ruddy! You wait!” 

‘‘I’m not afraid!” sneered the carrot-haired 
lad. “You keep your dog away from my sis- 
ter, too!” 

“Huh! She isn’t a coward — like you!” 
snapped out Rick. 

“Who’s a coward?” Jack took a step for- 
ward, his hands clenching. 

“You are!” cried Rick, undismayed, though 
Jack was taller and stronger than he. “Any 
fellow ’s~a coward who hits a dog or any other 
animal when he doesn’t have to. I’ll fight you 
any time you want!” 

Gently Ethel laid a hand on Rick’s sleeve, 
while Ruddy, seeing this exhibition of friend- 
ship, wagged his tail in approval. And his 
wonderful brown eyes lost some of their fire 
of wrath as they turned from Jack to Rick. 

“Don’t, Rick,” pleaded the girl. “It makes 
me — makes me ” 



'Any fellow’s a coward who hits a dog” 



r 


I 

I 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


133 


She raised her hand toward her eyes, and 
Hick understood. 

‘‘All — all right,’' said Ruddy’s master, in a 
low voice. “I won’t fight your brother — now/^ 
The last word meant much. It was postponing 
the day of righteous, boyish judgment. 

‘ ‘ Humph ! ’ ’ sneered J ack. “ A lot I care ! ’ ’ 

He reached down to pick up another stone. 
Ruddy growled and Rick, fiinging off Ethel’s 
restraining hand, darted forward. But the red- 
haired lad only tossed the stone out into Ever- 
green Lake, where it sent the ripples circling 
and sparkling in the sun. 

“You got to come back to camp,” Jack or- 
dered his sister. “Aunt Irma said so.” 

“I’m coming — ^but not with you!*^ the girl 
retorted. “Come on — ^Rick and Ruddy,” she 
called, and she smiled — for the first time since 
her brother had appeared on the scene. But 
now he slunk off, having delivered his message. 

For a time Rick and Ethel walked, on in 
silence. Ruddy now running on ahead and again 
dropping behind to trace the origin of some 
wild, woody odor that was a delight to his nos- 
trils. In his wonderful dog way he knew he was 
safe and with friends now, and could run 


134 


KICK AND KUDDY IN CAMP 


whither he pleased without the danger of being 
stoned. 

‘‘Poor Euddy,’’ murmured Ethel, as the set- 
ter paused for a moment near her. He wagged 
his tail in appreciation of her sympathy as she 
gently touched his bruised side. 

“What makes your brother — that wayT’ 
asked Rick. “Does he hate all animals T’ 

“Pretty much, I^m afraid,” answered the 
girl. “He’s been that way ever since he was 
little. Daddy has tried to make him stop, and 
he’s even whipped him, but it didn’t do any 
good. Jack stones dogs and cats and — and — 
I don’t like to talk about it,” she finished, giv- 
ing Rick to understand that the bully did worse 
things than that to helpless animals. 

“I can’t see how anybody can hurt a dog,” 
murmured Rick. 

“Nor I,” added Ethel gently. “Maybe Jack 
will get over it.” 

“He’d better — ^before he hits Ruddy again,” 
exclaimed Rick. “If he doesn’t ” 

“Please don’t fight him — if you can help it,” 
begged the sister. “Maybe — ^maybe if I talked 
to him, and told him what a good dog Ruddy is — 
maybe he’d let him alone.” 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


135 


* ‘ W ell, you can try, ’ ’ conceded Hick. ‘ ‘ But if 

that doesn’t do any good Here, Ruddy! 

Come hack!” he broke off to call suddenly, for 
the dog had darted forward through the under- 
brush, barking loudly. Rick was afraid lest 
his four-legged chum might again encounter the 
bully. ‘‘Come back!” 

Ruddy obeyed, crashing through brambles 
to the further disheveled appearance bf his 
coat, and he was followed by Scout Master Tay- 
lor and a number of Rick’s camping chums. 

“Oh, I’m glad it’s you!” Rick exclaimed. 

“Why?” asked the Master. “Did you think 
it was the flame-faced phosphorus monster from 
the cave?” 

‘ ‘ Almost, ’ ’ said Rick. For to him Jack Slade, 
with his red hair, was typical of a monster who 
hated dogs. 

“Say, you had good luck all right!” cried 
Chot, with a glance at the strings of fish. 

“Pretty fair,” admitted Rick, justly proud. 

“Did you catch those?” Hen asked Ethel. 

“Every one,” she replied, also rightly boast- 
ful. “Didn’t I, Rick?” 

“Yep,” he answered. “And she baited her 
own hook, too ! ’ ’ 


136 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


^‘Good stuff!’’ commented the Scout Master. 
‘‘We’re planning to explore that cave to-mor- 
row, Rick,” Mr. Taylor went on. “We’re go- 
ing up now for a sort of preliminary survey.” 

“I’ll come along in a little while,” Ruddy’s 
master promised. 

“Oh, you can go now!” quickly interposed 
Ethel. “I can go home alone. I know the 
way.” 

‘ ‘ I got plenty of time, ’ ’ Rick answered. ‘ ‘ See 
you later, fellows,” and the Scout Master and 
his followers touched their caps to Ethel, a 
salute which Rick acknowledged in the same 
way as the two parties separated. 

“Well, you did have excellent luck, Ethel!” 
her Aunt Irma said, as Rick and his pretty com- 
panion reached the Slade camp. “I never 
thought you’d do so well.” 

“Rick and Ruddy brought me luck,” said the 
girl, smiling. “Where’s daddy? I want to show 
him.” 

“He’s off — prospecting,” Miss Slade an- 
swered, and Rick wondered what this mysteri- 
ous prospecting could be. 

“Thanks, Rick, for taking me fishing,” said 
Ethel, as the boy and his dog started back for 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


137 


their camp, after which Hick proposed going 
to the cave. like to go another day.” 

‘ ‘ So would I, ’ ’ Eick stated. ^ ‘ I T1 call for you 
again. Come on, Euddy!” 

When Eick, having cleaned his fish, and put 
them in the camp refrigerator in preparation 
for supper, joined his companions and the Scout 
Master in the vicinity of the cave, Chot asked : 

‘ ‘ What ’s the matter with Euddy 1 He ’s limp- 
ing.” 

‘‘Oh, he — ^he’s a little lame,” admitted Eick, 
not caring to go into details about the stone 
thrown by Jack Slade. The dog had not shown 
any signs of limping at first. The stone must 
have struck a tendon, and have been thrown 
with more force than Eick realized. He hoped 
there would be no permanent results from the 
bully’s cruel action. 

“Maybe he’s got a thorn in his paw,” said 
Tom. 

“Maybe,” admitted Eick. “I’ll look when 
we get back to camp. But say, what did you 
find in the cave?” 

“We didn’t go very far,” Chot said, the four 
chums grouping together, while others of the 
Scouts ranged ahead or lagged behind, some 


138 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


with Mr. Taylor. Rick had met the party com- 
ing back from the cavern. 

^‘CouldnT you get inV* Rick wanted to know. 

‘‘Yes. We found another entrance,” said 
Hen. “But Mr. Taylor, after he^d looked 
around, thought we^d better not go in until we 
had ropes and lanterns. It’s risky exploring an 
unknown cave, he said, ’less you’re prepared 
for it. There might be holes to fall in.” 

“Say, maybe it’s an old pirates’ nest!” 
eagerly exclaimed Chot. “Cracky! Wouldn’t 
that be great ! If we could discover a chest of 
gold!” 

“No such dandy luck ! ’ ’ laughed Rick. There 
were many stories and traditions that Captain 
Kidd had buried treasure somewhere along the 
Belemere coast. And what was to prevent some 
of it being buried farther inland? Nothing in 
the world, if you were to believe the eager 
lads. 

“We’ll make a visit to the cave to-morrow 
or next day, ’ ’ decided the Scout Master in camp 
that evening, when Rick’s fish formed part of 
the bill of fare. “It seems as though it would 
prove interesting, even if there is no mysterious 
face of fire,” he added. 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


139 


‘‘I guess some fellows put that there for a 
joke,’’ decided Tom. 

‘‘Shouldn’t wonder,” agreed Mr. Taylor. 

Because he had to supervise the activities of 
some of the lads who were trying for additional 
merit badges next day, it was not until the fol- 
lowing one that the Scout Master could accom- 
pany the lads on an expedition to the strange 
cavern. At least the boys thought of it as 
“strange,” though the phosphorus face was the 
only mysterious manifestation so far. 

“Buddy all right again, Eiek?” asked Mr. 
Taylor, as he walked beside the boy and his 
dog. 

“Oh, yes, sir. It was just — ^he got hit with 
a stone.” 

“Hit with a stone! Did some one — ^no mat- 
ter. You needn’t tell me,” said the Scout Mas^ 
ter quickly. He did not encourage tale-bearing. 
He knew if there was anything that needed tell- 
ing Eick would not keep back the truth. 

“It wasn’t any of our fellows,” Eick said. 
“Mr. Taylor, what makes some folks cruel to 
animals'?” he asked. 

“IVell, it’s hard to say,” the Scout Master 
slowly answered. “I think it happens, in some 


140 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


cases, because animals are not understood. Of 
course, ignorance is partly the reason. People 
don’t realize they are hurting horses when they 
haul their heads away up in the air by means 
of the cheek rein. They don’t stop to think that 
dogs and cats need cool water to drink. They 
forget that a horse who has been hauling a 
heavy load should be blanketed when he stops 
so he will not take cold. Those are matters of 
ignorance.” 

‘‘No, I mean what makes fellows kick dogs 
and stone ’em and tie tin cans to their tails?” 
asked Rick. 

“I wish I knew,” sighed Mr. Taylor. “I 
can’t understand it myself. It doesn’t seem 
possible that boys, who are normal in other 
ways, can be cruel to animals, but some are. 
I think they might perhaps need something like 
a surgical operation,” he added with a smile, 
“as the doctors say some criminals need it, to 
make their brains right. But I think most cru- 
elty, Rick, is due to ignorance — people don’t 
know that they are hurting the animal. And 
then some boys think it fun to see a dog half 
crazed by the can on his tail.” 

“This fellow knew all right,” Rick murmured. 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


141 


^‘Ilere, Ruddy! Come back!’’ be cried, as he 
saw the setter racing after a rabbit. Rabbits 
were not in season now, but of course Ruddy 
could not know that. He did not want to give 
up the chase, but Rick was urgent in his de- 
mands, and finally his dog came back. 

^‘He’s getting over his lameness,” said the 
Scout Master. 

^‘Oh, yes; it wasn’t much,” agreed Rick. 

They reached the cave, going in by another 
entrance than that through which the flaming 
face had been seen. The boys were provided 
with electric flash lamps and in addition some 
stout sticks and a coil of rope was carried. Mr. 
Taylor was taking no chances. 

‘‘Say, it’s a big' place,” commented Rick, 
when they were inside. “You can hardly see 
the roof.” 

“Oh, it isn’t so large,” commented Mr. Tay- 
lor. “Our lights do not carry very far, that 
is all. The roof can’t be very high, for we en- 
tered almost on the level, and we haven’t de- 
scended much. Now keep together, boys. This 
may be only a simple cavern, or there may be 
branch tunnels in which you’d get lost. Don’t 
go too far away!’^ 


142 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


They scattered about, discovering nothing 
unusual in the cave. It seemed to he hollowed 
out of solid rock, that material appearing on 
the roof, sides and ceiling — that is what few 
glimpses they had of the latter boundary. 

‘‘Well, I don’t believe we shall find much 
of value in here,” said Mr. Taylor, and he was 
about to propose that they leave when Chot 
and Tom, who in spite of the orders to the con- 
trary had wandered otf to one side, called: 

“Here’s a sort of tunnel! Let’s see where it 
goes!” 

The others of the party, led by the Scout 
Master, joined them. They found Tom and 
Chot at a point where a V-shaped opening led 
otf from the main cavern, the wider part of the 
tunnel being at the bottom. In fact it was like 
a V turned upside down. 

“Let’s go in!” proposed Rick. 

“All right,” assented the Scout Master, tak- 
ing the lead, as was his right and duty. “But 
watch your steps, boys. I’ll light the oil lan- 
tern,” he added. “That will save our flash 
lamps. ’ ’ 

One of the lanterns had been brought from 


THE VOICE IN THE CAVE 


143 


camp, but bad not been used up to now; per- 
haps because the boys were so eager to use the 
more intense and easier-handled electric torches. 

"With the more generally illuminating rays 
of the lantern to guide them, Rick, Ruddy and 
their friends penetrated the cave tunnel. It 
led, winding this way and that, off from the 
main cavern, and not a lad but whose heart 
beat high with hope of what he might discover. 

But after going in for perhaps two hundred 
feet Mr. Taylor, who with Rick was in the lead, 
came to a sudden halt. At the same time Ruddy 
barked, his voice being magnified almost to a 
lion^s roar by the resounding echoes. 

‘‘What’s the matter?” called voices from the 
rear. 

“There’s some sort of a light — or a fire — just 
ahead of us,” answered the Scout Master. “Are 
all our fellows here?” 

This was quickly ascertained to be the fact, 
by a simple counting process. 

“Then it must be some one else also explor- 
ing the cave,” said the Scout Master. “We’ll 
go on, but ” 

Then suddenly from the darkness beyond in 


144 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


the V-shaped tunnel — darkness pierced only 
partly by the rays of the lantern, and by the 
glow Mr. Taylor had seen — came a voice saying : 
^ ‘ Don T come any farther ! ^ ^ ^ 

It was like a warning of danger. 


CHAPTER XV 


A CLAMBAKE 

S ILENCE fell upon the group of Boy Scouts, 
as they surrounded their leader in the semi- 
darkness of the cavern tunnel. The echoes of 
the voice of the unknown died away, and then 
Mr. Taylor spoke, saying: 

‘‘We donT want to trespass on private prop- 
erty, of course, but would you mind telling us 
who you are!^’ The Scout Master did not want 
it said, afterward, that he and his friends had 
been routed by some mischievous lads — perhaps 
Jack Slade and his cronies playing a joke. 

“It doesnT matter who I am,’’ came the 
rather sharp retort. “It is enough to say that 
this cave is private property, and that I am the 
owner. I am conducting some experiments. It 
may be dangerous, as well as unwise, for you 
to come farther.” 

“That is enough for us to know,” said Mr. 
145 


146 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Taylor courteously. ‘‘We certainly don’t wish 
to annoy any one. I am a Boy Scout leader, and 
I was bringing the lads in for exploration ” 

“That’s all right — no harm done, and, later, 
I may open the cave to the public,” said the 
voice of the unseen. “At present I desire to 
be alone.” 

“Come on, boys,” called Mr. Taylor. “We 
haven’t any right in here under the circum- 
stances. Let’s hike back.” 

He turned, while Rick whistled to Ruddy. 
The dog seemed to think it his duty to penetrate 
farther into the cavern, but Rick insisted on 
being obeyed. However, he had to go after 
Ruddy to make him come to heel, and it was 
thus when he advanced farther than the others 
along the inverted V-shaped opening that Rick 
caught a glimpse of a man with a lantern at 
the far end of the crack. There the cave seemed 
to open out larger. 

Rick had only an indistinct view of the man, 
who had, undoubtedly, uttered the warning, and 
though he could not see the face the boy had 
a feeling that he knew the unknown. He had a 
brief glimpse of sturdy, thick legs encased in 
short trousers. 


A CLAMBAKE 


147 


“EthePs father!’’ was the thought that in- 
stantly came to Eick’s mind. ^‘That’s who it 
is ! I wonder what he ’s doing in this cave, and 
why he doesn’t want us here?” 

However, it was no time to ask questions like 
that, so Eick, having taken hold of Euddy’s 
collar, turned and followed the Scout Master 
and the boys out of the cavern. 

As they reached the entrance there echoed 
from the black depths a dull, booming report. 

‘‘What’s that?” exclaimed Chot. 

“Sounded like blasting,” said Tom. 

“I believe that’s what it was,” the Scout 
Master said. “Probably some one is undertak- 
ing mining operations in the cave, and if they 
set off a blast — ^which it sounded like — it would 
have been dangerous for us to have remained.” 

“What would they be mining for?” asked 
Hen. “Gold?” 

“No, but aside from that I could only guess 
at it,” said the Scout Master. “However, the 
owner, as he said, may let us go in some other 
time. Now he has a right to keep us out, and 
we must respect his rights as we’d expect 
him to respect ours, if it happened to be our 


148 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


''All the same I'd like to know what's going 
on there, ' ' said Chot. 

" So 'd I ! " exclaimed the other boys. 

Eick made up his mind to say nothing of his 
own suspicions. After all, he might be wrong, 
and it would not be pleasant to make a mistake 

There was so much to do at Camp Taylor, 
with fishing, swimming, boating, going on hikes 
and cooking meals in the woods, that the boys 
paid less attention to the mysterious cave and 
its mysterious occupant than they would, other- 
wise, have done. Even Eick, at times, in the 
joyous fun of living in camp with Euddy, found 
himself forgetting a resolution he had half- 
formed, of asking Ethel if she knew anything 
about her father being in the cave. 

And as if these activities were not enough to 
provide good times at camp, Mr. Taylor one 
day made the announcement : 

"Clambake to-morrow, fellows!" 

"Clambake!" came the general cry for more 
enlightenment. 

"Yes," went on the Scout Master, smiling at 
the eagerness shown, ' ' a camp like this, so near 
the ocean, wouldn't be a complete success unless 
we had a clambake. So I've ordered the sup- 


A CLAMBAKE 


149 


plies and they ’ll be bere to-morrow. Get busy 
now, gather stones and plenty of wood!” 

Not a boy but knew the delights of a clam- 
bake in the open — as diiferent as one served at 
home, or at a hotel, as day is different from 
night. And at once there were joyous shouts as 
the Scouts made ready for one of the high spots 
of their camping experience. 

While some of the boys dug a pit in which 
the bake proper would be ‘‘staged,” so to speak, 
others gathered round, medium-sized stones, and 
still others garnered wood for the fire. The fire 
would heat the stones, and the stones would 
cook the clams and other good things. 

“Where we going to get seaweed?” asked 
Eick, for, be it known to you inland dwellers, 
a clambake without seaweed is not a bake at 
all. But don’t misunderstand me — the seaweed 
is not eaten. It is piled wet on the hot stones, 
and produces the steam without which the 
viands would be raw and uncooked. 

“A wagon load of seaweed is coming with 
the other stuff,” said the Scout Master. This 
clambake was his special treat to his boys. 

The materials arrived. Clams, clams and 
then more clams, both hard and soft. There 


150 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


were lobsters, too, and corn on the ear, with 
potatoes as a sort of side dish. ' 

First of all, when the time came to put the 
bake in operation, a fire was started in the pit. 
In the midst of this fire were tossed the stones, 
there to heat until almost the bursting point. 
Fuel was kept heaped on the pile until at last 
Mr. Taylor pronounced the stones hot enough. 

With rakes the embers and blackened wood 
were pulled away from the stones, and on top 
of the sizzling pile was spread the wet seaweed. 
Instantly a cloud of steam arose. 

‘‘Look out! It^s hot!’^ cried the Scout Mas- 
ter, as the boys ventured too near. 

“I should say so!^’ cried Chot. 

On this layer of steaming, hot seaweed was 
put a strata of clams. On top of them was 
piled more wet weed. Then came a section of 
lobsters, followed by more weed. Then ears of 
sweet corn, and potatoes in their “jackets.^’ 
On top of this more weed and then over all was 
raked another layer of hot stones. Again more 
weed was piled on, and then over all was placed 
a big piece of canvas, the edges being covered 
with stones and earth to hold it down tightly 
so no steam would escape. It is the steam. 


A CLAMBAKE 


151 


generated by the wet seaweed on the hot stones, 
that does the cooking at a clambake. 

‘^Well, now we can leave it for a couple of 
hours,’’ said Mr. Taylor when the tarpaulin was 
in place. ‘‘It can’t possibly burn, for the heat 
will remain steady for some time, gradually 
decreasing. There isn’t any fire to get hotter.” 

The New England clambake, I believe, was the 
original tireless cooker, for it is on this same 
principle that this ingenious piece of household 
apparatus works. 

“Oh, boy! Two hours from now!” cried 
Chot, rubbing his stomach in imitation of a 
dweller on a South Sea island who has not 
feasted for a week. 

“Oh, la-la!” echoed Rick, and even Ruddy 
barked in joyous anticipation. 

To pass the time until the bake was ready to 
serve, Mr. Taylor took his charges otf on a hike, 
telling them about the various birds that were 
seen. 

I can not say that any of the boys showed 
any great desire to acquire ornithological in- 
formation. In fact. Ruddy was more inter- 
ested in birds than was Rick, and Rick’s atti- 
tude was reflected in that of the other Scouts. 


152 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘Well, I think we may as well go back,’’ said 
Mr. Taylor, after consulting his watch. 

‘ ‘ Hurray ! ’ ’ came the enthusiastic chorus, and 
the hike hack was at twice the speed of that of 
the outward journey. 

“I can smell it now!” exclaimed Chot, clap- 
ping Riek on the back. 

“Oh, you lobsters!” voiced Tom. 

“Green corn — on the cob!” cried Hen. “I 
can eat a dozen ears!” 

“Be careful!” laughed the Scout Master. 
“It isn’t easy to get a doctor here.” 

They reached the little hill from the summit 
of which they could look down on their camp. 
Their eyes sought the mound which indicated 
the clambake. But no sooner had the gaze of 
the Scouts rested on it than a wail of despair 
rose from every throat. 

Some one had disrupted, torn apart and scat- 
tered all about the stones, seaweed and the 
choice viands, which were thrown here and there 
on the ground ! 

There was no clambake awaiting the return of 
the hungry lads ! 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE DRUMMING PARTY 

^ rHO did itr’ 

VV ‘ ‘ Jimminitty ! This is tough luck ! ’ ’ 

‘‘Is it all gone?’’ 

These were only a few of the expressions of 
the boys as they gathered around the despoiled 
bake. Even Ruddy barked dismally, for was 
not he to have had a share in the good things? 

“Well, boys,” said the Scout Master, and he 
tried to accept the camp tragedy in as calm a 
spirit as possible, “some one seems to have been 
here ahead of us.” 

“Who was it?” asked Hen. 

“Maybe we can find out,” spoke Rick. 

“If they’d only eaten it then it wouldn’t 
have been so bad,” commented Chot. “But 
they just kicked it apart ! ’ ’ 

And that seemed to have been the means 
used to spoil the bake. The tarpaulin had been 

153 


154 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


pulled off, and the stones, seaweed and cooked 
viands raked away and thrown about. Some 
evidently had been eaten, for the empty shells 
of many clams were found, also some partly 
consumed lobsters. 

‘ ‘ This sure is fierce ! ’ ’ exclaimed Rick. 

Mr. Taylor was busily engaged in looking 
over the scene. Then he called out : 

‘ ‘ Well, fellows, it might he a heap sight worse. 
I think we can save something out of the wreck 
yet. They didn’t dig very far down into the 
center of the pile. That hasn’t been touched, 
and the best part of the feed is there. Gather 
up the stuff that ’s scattered, and put back what 
is clean and good. We’ll let the cold stuff warm 
a little and maybe we can get half a meal off 
it, anyhow. ’ ’ 

It was rather better than a half meal, as mat- 
ters turned out. The vandals, in their haste, 
had torn away only the top and outer edges of 
the bake. The center and interior still steamed 
warmly. And when the unbroken lobsters, the 
unstripped ears of corn and some of the clams 
had been put back to heat again, there was al- 
most enough for even the hungriest lad to eat. 

But there is no denying that the bake was 


THE DRUMMING PARTY 


155 


pretty well spoiled, and certainly tlie edge had 
been taken off the fun of letting the Scouts 
themselves pull off the steaming seaweed, to 
delve among the cooling stones for the dainties 
cooked by their heat. 

‘ ‘ It might be worse, ’ ^ said Chot, as he dipped 
clam after clam in melted butter and consumed 
them with a look of supreme enjoyment on his 
face. 

‘‘ItTl be worse for those fellows who did it, 
when we get after ’em ! ’ ’ declared Rick. 

‘^Who did it?” asked Hen, but he and the 
others also thought there could be but one 
answer to that question. 

‘^Look,” said Rick, laying on the table near 
his plate a dirty pocket knife. ‘Ht’s Jack 
Slade ’s, ’ ’ he went on. ^ ^ Got his initials on ; and 
I saw it lying on his stoop one day when I took 
his sister home after she had one of her blind 
spells. ’ ’ 

“Jack Slade!” exclaimed Chot. 

“And those fellows camping with him,” 
added Hen. 

‘ * They did it ! ” declared Rick. 

“Let’s pay ’eto back!” proposed Charlie 
Rubin, with a glance down the table to make 


156 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


sure the Scout Master did not hear. ‘‘Let^s 
pay ’em back.” 

‘‘Howl” asked Chot. 

There were various answers. Some were in 
favor of asking the Scout Master to take some 
action. Others thought Mr. Slade should be in- 
formed, but the more radical cried : 

“Drive ’em out of camp!” 

“We can’t do that,” said Rick. “Their tent 
is on ground Mr. Slade owns. It’s private prop- 
erty. ’ ’ 

“And I don’t believe in being a tattler,” said 
Tom. 

“Nor I,” agreed Rick. “But there’s one 
thing we can do. ” 

“What?” asked his chums, for Rick was a 
lad known to have many new and original ideas. 

“We can give ’em the rogue’s march,” Rick 
said- 

“ What’s that?” asked Charlie. 

“Well,” Rick explained, “in the* army camps, 
when a soldier does something wrong, they drum 
him out of camp. The other soldiers get tin 
cans, pans and anything that makes a racket and 
parade the rogue out of bounds. Maybe we 


THE DRUMMING PARTY 


157 


can’t do that, but we can give Jack and his gang 
a drumming party.” 

‘‘That’s the stuff!” 

“Let’s do it!” 

“Drum ’em out of camp!” 

“Let ’em know we’re on to their tricks!” 

Exclamations,, suggestions and cries of ap- 
proval for Rick’s suggestion followed thick and 
fast. 

“Shall we do itT’ asked Rick. 

“Sure!” came the chorus. Mr. Taylor had 
gone down to the lake shore to read, leaving the 
boys alone for a while. 

“All right,” went on Rick. “Get all the tin 
things you can find — anything that makes a 
noise — and we’ll give that hunch the rogue’s 
serenade to-night.” 

“I’ll make' some wooden rattles,” declared 
Chot. 

“And I’ll make some willow whistles,” of- 
fered Hen. 

“A couple of stones banged together make a 
good noise,” said Charlie. 

“That’s what we want — ^noise,” affirmed 
Chot, and so the drumming party was arranged. 


158 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Acting on the impulse of the moment, the boys 
decided not to tell the Scout Master what they 
intended to do. They knew they could all leave 
camp early in the evening, which was decided 
on as the time. They did not have to report 
back until 9 o’clock. 

Quietly and secretly they made their prep- 
arations and gathered their noise-producing de- 
vices. Anything that could send forth a racket 
was taken, from two stones, which served as 
‘‘tom-toms,” to a large tin can, beaten with 
sticks. 

If Mr. Taylor suspected anything when, after 
supper, the boys, one after another, deserted 
camp, he said nothing. They met at an ap- 
pointed place and silently made their way to 
the tent where Jack and his two chums were 
camped. An advance scout, in the person of 
Hen Marsh, brought back word that the three 
cronies were just finishing their supper. 

“Get ready, fellows!” whispered Rick, as he 
gathered his force about him. For fear lest he 
might betray their presence by an inadvertent 
bark. Ruddy had been left tied in camp, much 
to his grief. 

‘ ‘ All ready ! ’ ’ announced Tom. 


THE DRUMMING PARTY 


159 


‘‘Let her go!” whispered Rick, in shrill ac- 
cents. 

A moment later the drumming party gave 
vent to such an unearthly combination of noise 
and racket as was never excelled in those woods, 
and perhaps never equaled, save by a Chinese 
orchestra in full action. 


CHAPTER XVII 


THE STOKM 

S tones banged together after the manner 
of the South Sea Islanders using their 
tom-toms, the rattle of tin pans, the shrill 
tooting of wooden whistles, these, mingled with 
the weird cries of the boys, their calls of con- 
tempt and anger against Jack Slade and his 
two fellow campers — all this made a din in the 
woods near that shore of Evergreen Lake such 
as never had been heard there before, except, 
possibly, in the days of the Indians, when the 
Redmen started a scalping party out on the war- 
path. 

So sudden was the audible attack of the drum- 
ming party that Jack and his chums, in their 
tent, were, for the moment, stunned into silence 
and inactivity. And then, as there came a pause 
in the racket, because the breaths of the Boy 
160 


THE STORM 


161 


Scouts gave out, Rick heard a girl’s voice cry: 

‘‘Daddy! Oh, Daddy! What is it? What 
is going to happen? Oh, I can’t see! It’s all 
getting dark again! Oh, Daddy!” The voice 
trailed off into a heart-breaking sob. 

Rick’s own heart smote him. He had not 
counted on this. The weird, uncouth noises had 
frightened Ethel, and the sensitive, nervous girl 
had suffered one of her attacks of blindness ! 

“Gosh! That’s too bad!” thought Rick. 

He dropped the two stones he had been bang- 
ing together, and leaned forward to call into the 
ear of Chot, next him, that they had done enough 
of the drumming, and had better stop. But at 
that instant the crowd of boys, having gotten 
their second winds, so to speak, after the first 
attack, went at it again, harder than ever, so 
that the din was redoubled, if that were pos- 
sible. 

And as the Scouts surrounded the tent of the 
red-haired lad and his two chums — fellow con- 
spirators, Rick and the others fully believed — 
Jack, Sam and Sid rushed outside the canvas 
house, being plainly outlined by the lantern on 
the pole behind them. 

“Hey, what’s the big idea?” yelled Jack, his 


162 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


face showing anger. He was heard by only a 
few of the drununers nearest him. 

“Cut it out!^^ advised Sid spitefully. 

“Go on, you clambahe robbers!’^ cried Chot. 
“Wedl show you!’’ 

“We’ll teach you to take our stuff!” added 
Tom. 

“We’ll cut your tent ropes some night!” 
threatened Charlie Rubin. 

I do not believe the Boy Scouts would, really, 
have carried out these threats, but there was 
some satisfaction in uttering them. 

All this while Rick, who again heard the 
frightened cry of Ethel, was endeavoring to at- 
tract the attention of his nearest comrades, to 
get them to cease the racket. But his efforts 
went for naught, or, rather, his shouts and paw- 
ings at Chot and Tom as he made ineffectual 
grasps for their arms, were misconstrued. The 
lads thought Rick was urging them to greater 
efforts. 

Jack and his chums, startled at first, were 
now angry. 

“Heave stones at ’em!” shouted Sid. 

“I’ve got a sling shot!” voiced Jack. “I’ll 
give ’em a taste of that with some BB shot ! ’ ’ 


THE STORM 


163 


‘‘Let’s msh ’em!” proposed Sam, who was 
a football player. 

But as the three lads saw the size of the drum- 
ming party they thought better of doing any 
rushing. However, Jack did bring out a sling 
shot, made with strong rubber bands, and a 
formidable weapon even when stones were used ; 
but much more so when leaden bullets were sent 
hurtling forth from the leather holder. 

“Drop that, you — you skunk!” cried Chot, 
skunk being the meanest word he could think of 
on the spur of the moment. 

“Try to put our eyes out, will you!” shouted 
Tom. He stooped and felt around on the 
ground for some object to throw. His fingers 
encountered a clump of fern and, tearing this 
up, he slung it with all his force at Jack, who 
was just pulling back the rubber of his sling 
shot. 

“Thud!” The clump of fern with a ball of 
damp roots struck Jack full in the face. He 
staggered backward and fell down. 

Then, as the noise of the drumming, the 
pounding of stones, the whistles and shouts died 
away, a man came bursting through the crowd 
of Boy Scouts, scattering them right and left. 


164 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


^^What does this mean? What are you rap- 
scallions doing here? Get out ! Don’t you know 
you ’ve frightened my daughter into hysterics ? ’ ’ 
this man cried. And Rick recognized him as 
Mr. Slade. 

‘‘What does this mean?” again cried Ethel’s 
father, his voice hard with anger. He faced the 
boys, and in the light of the moon, which, just 
then, shone clearly forth from behind the clouds, 
Mr. Slade seemed to single out Rick. “What 
nonsense is this?” asked Mr. Slade. 

For a moment no one answered, and then, as 
every one seemed waiting for Rick, his own 
chums remembering that he was better ac- 
quainted with the Slades than any of the Boy 
Scouts, Ruddy’s young master stepped forward 
and said: 

“We’re drumming them up because they 
spoiled our clambake.” 

“Spoiled your clambake!” spluttered Jack, 
getting rid of some of the dirt that had entered 
his mouth. “What do you mean?” 

“You know what I mean!” said Rick sternly. 
“We started a clambake and went off on a hike. 
When we came back it was all torn up and partly 


THE STORM 


165 


eaten, and we found your knife there, Jack 
Slade! Look!” 

Rick held up the clew where all could see. 

‘ ‘ I never was near your old clambake ! ’ ^ cried 
Jack. ‘‘Were we, fellows?” and he appealed 
to his chums. 

‘ ‘ Get out ! ’ ^ scorned Chot. ‘ ‘ Sure you were ! ’ ^ 

“Tell that to somebody else!” jeered Tom. 

‘ ‘ One moment ! ’ ^ sharply called Mr. Slade, and 
the boys became quiet at the tone of authority 
in his voice. “Jack, is this true? Did you 
spoil their clambake? What time did it hap- 
pen?” he asked, turning to Rick before Jack 
had a chance to answer. 

“This afternoon,” Rick stated. 

“Then we didn’t do it!” cried Jack. “We 
were out fishing with you, Dad ! ’ ’ 

A sudden fear and doubt came over Rick 
Dalton and his Boy Scout chums. Had they 
made a grievous error? 

“If your clambake was interfered with this 
afternoon, boys,” said Mr. Slade, speaking more 
calmly, “then I am positive it was not done by 
Jack and his friends. I had all three of them 
out in the boat with me fishing, until just before 


166 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


supper. About Jack^s knife I know nothing, 
but it might easily have been dropped there at 
some other time, or, having been lost, may have 
been picked up by some one who did drop it at 
the scene of the trouble.^’ 

‘‘That’s right!” chimed in Jack. “I lost my 
knife two days ago!” 

For a moment the two throngs faced one an- 
other with angry eyes. Then, as the truth of 
Mr. Slade’s words was borne home to Rick and 
his chums, they realized what a mistake they 
had made. 

“You should have made more certain, and 
have had better evidence to act on than mere 
suspicion, before you created such an unearthly 
din in the woods,” went on Mr. Slade in crisp 
tones. “As it is, you have not only made an 
unjust accusation, but you have seriously fright- 
ened my daughter. And you had better leave 
these grounds. They are private. I shall see 
your Scout Master in the morning.” 

He turned away and walked along the path 
that led to the log cabin. No longer did Rick 
hear Ethel’s frightened cry, but he could imag- 
ine her sitting in darkness, though there might 
be lights around her. And he might have pre- 


THE STORM 


167 


vented all this ! The hoys would have listened 
to him. But he wanted revenge on Jaok. Now 
it was evident that a serious mistake had been 
made. 

Abashed and discomfited, the Boy Scouts 
started for their camp. They had dropped their 
tom-tom stones, their clashing tins and whistles. 
In silence they filed off through the moonlighted 
woods. 

‘‘Did you ever get leftT’ taunted Sid. 

“Thought you were smart, didnT youT’ 
sneered Sam. 

“WeTl pay you for this!” threatened Jack, 
as he and his chums turned into their tent to 
go on with their interrupted meal. 

There was not much talking among the Boy 
Scouts as they made their way back. Soon the 
mournful and lonely barking of Buddy fell on 
their ears. 

“Well, he isn’t in bad, anyhow,” said Chot, 
grimly joking. “We sure did make a mess of 
it, Eick!” 

“Yes, we shouldn’t have done it, I guess. 
But I thought sure Jack and those fellows 
spoiled our bake,” Rick said. 

“So’d I,” remarked several others. 


168 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘What 11 we do?” asked Tom. 

No one answered for a moment, and then 
Rick broke the ice by saying: 

“WeVe got to tell Mr. Taylor.” 

There was another silence, and then Chot, 
with a sigh, added: 

“Better do it ourselves than have Mr. Slade, 
I reckon.” 

“Yep!” came in mournful tones from his 
nearest chums. 

The Scout Master looked surprised and hurt 
when the tale was haltingly told him. He had 
been out on the lake alone for a moonlight row, 
and though he had heard the drumming concert 
he had thought it just some general fun on the 
part of the boys. 

“Well,” he said at length, “it’s done and 
can’t be undone. I’m particularly sorry on that 
little girl’s account.” 

So was Rick, and so were his chums. It did 
not so much matter about Jack, Sid and Sam. 
They could stand having their feelings ruffled, 
though, of course, it was not pleasant to 
be wrongly accused, and that is what it 
amounted to. 

“You’ll have to apologize, naturally,” said 


THE STORM 


169 


the Scout Master. ''That's the least and the 
most honorable thing to do. ITl see Mr. Slade 
and his daughter, and explain, and you boys 
must do the rest. ' ' 

That was only fair, Rick and his chums ad- 
mitted, hut they knew it would not be easy. 
One or two of them had been obliged, at one 
time or another, to get up before the class in 
school and mumble: "I did wrong and I’m 
sorry for it!” 

"You shouldn’t have acted on the basis of 
such a slender clew,” went on the Scout Mas- 
ter. "It may have been some vindictive tramps 
who despoiled the clambake.” 

Rick and his chums had not thought of that. 

"However, you did not mean to do wrong,” 
Mr. Taylor said, "though it so resulted, and 
the etfect was the same as though you had 
acted with intention. You are going to do the 
honorable thing by apologizing, and that will 
wipe the slate clean as far as is possible. I 
won’t say anything about not telling me, 
for ” 

"We know we did wrong there, too,” said 
Rick quickly. 

"Yes, you did,” said the Scout Master 


170 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


frankly. ‘‘You are here in my charge, and 
I have a right to be told of any unusual actions 
you contemplate. However, I ’ll overlook it this 
time, and I won’t even say ‘don’t do it again,’ 
for I know you wdll not,” and he smiled at the 
boys in his own peculiar, engaging manner. 

“Three cheers for Mr. Taylor!” called Chot. 

And the woods resounded to the echoes of 
quite a different din than that made by the 
drumming party. 

“Well, Ruddy, old boy,” murmured Rick, as 
he released his dog from where he had been 
tied, “maybe it would have been better if we’d 
taken you with us. We might not have sur- 
prised Jack, and the drumming might not have 
happened, and then we wouldn’t be in so badly 
as we are now. But I guess it had to be ! Only 
I hope Ethel doesn’t stay blind long. That’s 
tough ! ’ ’ 

It was Mr. Taylor’s intention to have his 
Boy Scouts go to the other camp in a body next 
day, and make a proper apology, but before 
morning broke he and several of the lads were 
awakened in their tents by the breaking of a 
storm. The wind sprang up suddenly and in 
a short time it was raining hard. 


THE STORM 


171 


‘‘Loosen tent ropes cried the Scout Mas- 
ter. 

“I should think it would be better to tighten 
’em, ’ ’ sleepily said Tom, as -he and Rick turned 
out with Chot and Hen. 

“Gosh, no!” Rick cried. “Don’t you know 
water shrinks the tent ropes, and if they shrink 
too much they’ll pull out the pegs and the tents 
will come down?” 

“Oh, that’s so,” admitted Tom. “I forgot.” 

Hastily donning rubber coats, the Scout Mas- 
ter and his charges soon slipped the ropes so 
that the danger described by Rick would not 
develop. Then they went back to bed, but not 
to sleep much, for the storm steadily grew 
worse. It was still raining hard when the boys 
got up for breakfast. 

However, provision had been made for such 
unkindness on the part of the elements, for 
when Mr. Taylor brought his lads to camp he 
knew all the days would not be fair. So, though 
the usual activities were curtailed, there was no 
lack of comforts in the way of meals. The 
cooking and dining tents did not leak, and the 
boys had rubber boots and coats. 

“Let’s go fishing,” proposed Chot, about the 


172 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


middle of the afternoon, when time had be- 
gun to drag. ‘‘They say fish bite best in the 
rain. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ The wind ’s too high, ’ ’ declared Eick. ‘ ‘ Look 
at the pond.’’ 

It was indeed rough out on Evergreen Lake, 
the waves reaching a height that would be 
unsafe for small boats. 

“We can fish from shore,” urged Chot. 
“Come on, let’s ask Mr. Taylor.” 

“Anything’s better than staying cooped up 
here, ’ ’ added Tom. 

Eick was about to agree with this, and the 
boys had started from their tent to go to that 
of the Scout Master, when they saw stalking 
through the downpour Mr. Slade. He seemed 
in a hurry and rather anxious, and Eick and 
his particular chums saw him encounter Mr. 
Taylor in front of the latter’s tent. 

“You have a motor boat; haven’t you?” they 
heard Mr. Slade ask the Scout Master. 

“Yes,” was the answer. “Is anything the 
matter?” 

Eick’s first thought was that Ethel needed a 
doctor, but a moment later he heard her father 
say: 


THE STORM 


173 


‘ ‘ My boy and his chums went off before dinner 
in our motor boat and haven ^t returned. The 
storm is getting so bad I^m a bit anxious. I 
was wondering if I could ask for the loan of 
your craft r’ 

‘‘Certainly/’ replied Mr. Taylor promptly. 
“It’s the least we can offer after the trouble of 
last night. We’ll discuss that later. I’ll go with 
you, and have some of our boys come along. 
Your son’s craft may be in some cove disabled. 
Just a minute, Mr. Slade.” 

The Scout Master looked through the mist of 
the downpour and saw Hick and his three chums 
outside their tent. 

“Come on, boys!” he called. “We’re going 
to look for some storm-bound navigators,” and 
his voice was cheerful, perhaps to give heart to 
Mr. Slade. For certainly it was perilous for a 
small craft on Lake Evergreen in the storm that 
was now raging. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


IN STEESS OF WATERS 

B obbing at the wharf to which she was 
tied, the Black Eagle, Mr. Taylor’s own 
private motor boat, awaited, anxiously it 
seemed, the boarding of her by Rick and his 
chums. The Scout Master had recently brought 
his own craft to the camp and many a trip the 
boys had taken in her. She was a sturdy boat, 
though not as fast as the Ethel, which was the 
name of the motor boat owned by Mr. Slade. 
Jack and his chums had been allowed to use the 
Ethel several times, and more than once they 
had taunted the occupants of the Black Eagle 
when they left her behind on the way to the 
Poiut to get the mail. 

“I told my boy and his chums not to go too 
far out, for I thought the storm would get 
worse,” said Mr. Slade, as he accompanied the 
Scout Master down to the dock. ‘ ^ But it seems 

174 


IN STRESS OF WATERS 


175 


they didn^t mind, and when I returned, after 
having been out for a while, and Ethel told me 
her brother hadn^t come back, I grew anxious.” 

‘‘Naturally,” commented Mr. Taylor, who 
was, with the help of the boys, taking the tar- 
paulin covers off the cockpit of the Black Eagle, 
This tarpaulin could be raised on movable up- 
rights and used as a sun awning, or a protec- 
tion against the rain. And it was the intention 
of Mr. Taylor so to utilize it now. 

“It’s too bad to make you go out in this 
storm,” went on Mr. Slade, “but I didn’t know 
what else to do — there aren’t any other motor 
boats on this side of the lake just now and ” 

“Oh, that’s all right,” cheerfully said Mr. 
Taylor. “That’s what Boy Scouts are for — 
to do good turns. And I want to tell you, Mr. 
Slade, that if it hadn’t been for this storm my 
boys would have been over in a body, this morn- 
ing, to apologize for their drumming party.” 

“That’s right,” said Chot, for it seemed to 
be “up to” him and the others to say some- 
thing. 

“Oh, we’ll forget that,” Mr. Slade remarked. 
“I was a little provoked at first, but, as a mat- 
ter of fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if 


176 


EICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


I had learned that Jack had had a hand in that 
mischief. He is a bit wild — if his mother had 
lived ’’ 

The wind caught the Black Eagle then, and 
seemed anxious to set her adrift before the 
party had gotten aboard, and Mr. Slade did not 
finish what he was saying, for he gave a hand 
to holding the boat against the sheltered side 
of the dock. 

^‘Is Ethel all right now?’’ asked E-ick, trying 
to keep Ruddy from jumping into the boat. 

‘‘Very nearly so. Any nervous shock seems 
to affect her eyes, and make her temporarily 
blind. We hope she will get all over that some 
day, but it takes quite a while. The noise 
frightened her.” 

“We’re sorry,” faltered Rick. 

“Have you any idea which way your boys 
went, Mr. Slade?” asked the Scout Master, as 
he took his place at the motor to throw on the 
ignition switch and let down the oil cup levers. 

“No, I can’t say. The last glimpse I had of 

them before I went to the ca before I went 

out,” and Mr. Slade seemed on the verge of 
saying something and then quickly changing 
his mind; a fact which Rick wondered if any- 


IN STEESS OF WATERS 


177 


one else besides himself noticed. ‘‘The last I 
saw of them they were over near the small cove 
—where you and Ethel were fishing,’’ he said to 
Kick. 

‘‘Well, we’ll try down that way,” Mr. Taylor 
said, as he started the motor, which, fortunately, 
seemed to be disposed to be on its good behavior. 
“It’s so misty you can’t see more than a few 
hundred feet. Get aboard, boys!” 

“Go back. Ruddy!” ordered Rick, as the 
setter tried to climb into the boat. 

‘ ‘ Oh, let him come ! ’ ’ begged Chot. ‘ ‘ There ’s 
lots of room!” 

“Yes, let him come,” assented the Scout Mas- 
ter. “He’s a sort of water dog anyhow; isn’t 
he, Rick?” he asked, for he knew the story of 
Ruddy. 

“He came out of the sea,” the boy admitted, 
as he patted the wet head of his four-footed 
chum. 

“Whew! It is rough!” exclaimed Mr. Tay- 
lor as he guided the Black Eagle out beyond the 
shelter of the dock, and there felt the full force 
of the wind and rain. 

“Big waves!” commented Rick, as one 
crashed up against the curving bow of the craft. 


178 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


and, breaking, sent a shower of spray over all 
on board. But they were dressed for this sort 
of weather, and the boys fairly shouted with 
delight at the idea of battling with the ele- 
ments. 

Mr. Taylor had faith in his craft, which was 
powerful and staunch, if not speedy, and with 
sure hands he guided her out into the lake, 
keeping her head well up into the teeth of the 
wind, so that the waves broke evenly against the 
bow. 

Ruddy lay at his master’s feet, more sheltered 
than any of the boat’s crew, for Rick spread a 
piece of canvas over his dog’s back; not that 
Ruddy minded rain, for he was in the water 
almost as much as he was out when with the 
boys at the lake. 

On chugged the Black Eagle and once she 
was well out from shore the full and gripping 
force of the storm was felt. At times the wind 
was so strong that it seemed fairly to stop the 
boat in her course. Fortunately the bows were 
exceptionally high, or more water might have 
come aboard than would have been pleasant, 
or safe. 


IN STRESS OF WATERS 


179 


‘‘I don^t like this! I don’t like it at all,” 
said Mr. Slade to himself, half aloud. ‘ ‘ Foolish 
boys to go out in such a storm I ’ ’ 

As the Black Eagle fought her way around 
Chestnut Point and down toward the cove and 
no glimpse was had through the driving, pelt- 
ing rain of the Ethel and her three occupants, 
Rick and his chums began to fear for the worst. 

‘‘We’d better stop and ask those in any boats 
we see if they have noticed Jack and his 
chums,” suggested Mr. Slade, when the Black 
Eagle had circled the cove, without glimpsing 
the missing ones. 

“Yes,” agreed Mr. Taylor. “That will be 
a good plan. I don’t fancy many are out, 
though, that don’t have to be, except the reg- 
ular steamers.” 

There were several of these plying back and 
forth across and up and down the lake, taking 
cottagers and campers to and from the stores 
or the Landing where the railroad station was 
located. But these steamers were of large size 
and it would be no easy matter to stop them 
in the storm to make inquiries. 

All small craft, including the green fishing 


180 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


boats of the most persistent disciples of Izaak 
Walton, seemed to have run for shelter if, in- 
deed, any had ventured out that morning. Lake 
Evergreen appeared to be deserted. They did 
see two of the larger steamers on the far side of 
the lake, too distant to hear a hail. 

‘‘Well just cruise about,’’ suggested the 
Scout Master. ‘‘They may be floating almost 
anywhere if their engine gave out.” 

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Mr. Slade. 
“It was a cranky motor at best. But they’d 
be blown before the wind, wouldn’t they?” 

“Yes, I suppose so,” agreed Mr. Taylor. 
“We’d better look for them at the lower end 
of the lake. I’ll give some whistles and see if 
we can get a response.” 

The Black Eagle was equipped with a com- 
pressed air whistle, and this was soon sending 
out shrill blasts, telling to those who might hear 
that she was on her way to the rescue. 

But listen and strain their ears as they did, 
the occupants of the Scout craft could hear no 
answering whistle. The only sounds were the 
howling of the wind, the swish of rain and the 
hiss as the waves slammed up against the boat’s 
bow, parted and raced alongside, as though 


IN STRESS OF WATERS 181 

angry at being cheated in their effort to climb 
aboard. 

‘‘Keep your eyes peeled, fellows!^’ called the 
Scout Master, wiping the rain drops off his 
face. 

“I see something!’’ suddenly cried Chot. 
“Looks like a boat turned upside down!” 

Mr. Slade gave a gasp, and Chot was sorry 
he had spoken so definitely.. But a moment later 
Tom shouted: 

“It’s only a log!” 

“Yes,” agreed Mr. Taylor, after an inspec- 
tion. ‘ ‘ Only a log, ’ ’ and he knew the thankful- 
ness that was in Mr. Slade’s heart. 

On and on chugged the Black Eagle, Now 
and again the Scouts would raise a shout, and 
the whistle tooted at intervals. They had gone 
down the lake a considerable distance, and Mr. 
Taylor was thinking of sending out a general 
alarm, so that more craft would look for the 
missing boys, when Kick suddenly sprang to 
his feet and cried: 

“Look! Isn’t that the Ethel?^* 

He pointed to something more like an indis- 
tinct blur in the storm than a boat, but it was 
a blur that did not fade away as several other 


182 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


similar ones had done, thus blasting hopes. 

“It does look like a boat,’^ said Mr. Taylor. 

“Hello, Jack!^^ cried Mr. Slade, making a 
megaphone of his hands and aiming it at the 
indistinct mass about a quarter of a mile away. 
“Hello, Jack!’^ 

They all listened eagerly, hut no answering 
hail came back. 

“We couldnT hear against this wind, any- 
how,’’ said the Scout Master. “If that’s a 
boat — and there is any one in it — they might 
hear us, but we couldn’t hear them. I’ll head 
for it.” 

He swung the Black Eagle around and gave 
her the last notch of the throttle control lever. 
On she sped and then Rick, peering through the 
rain, gave a joyful cry ! 

“It is the Ethel!'' he shouted, “and all three 
of ’em are aboard! There they are!” 

Ruddy added his barks to Rick’s joyful call, 
and Mr. Slade murmured a prayer of thanks. 
But an instant later there came a terrific blast 
of wind, a big wave struck the Black Eagle on 
her beam, filling the cockpit with water and the 
faces of all on board with blinding spray. 


IN STRESS OF WATERS 


18S 


When their vision was cleared, and it was 
realized that the Scout boat was in no actual 
distress all eyes turned toward where they had 
seen the Ethel, 

She had disappeared! 


CHAPTER XIX 


UP A TREE 

i THERE are theyT’ cried Mr. Slade, 
V V dashing his hand across his eyes as 
if to make sure he really had his sight. ‘‘Where 
did they go? What happened?’^ 

“I think they must have capsized!’’ shouted 
Mr. Taylor, above the howling of the wind, the 
swish of rain and the slashing of the waves 
against the sides of the Black Eagle. “That 
last blast turned her over ! The boys are in the 
water! Look sharp, everybody!” he com- 
manded. “We must pick them up!” 

The Boy Scouts scanned the heaving, foam- 
capped water in all directions, and their eyes 
were not less eager or anxious than those of 
Mr. Slade to discover a trace of his son and 
Jack’s luckless companions. 

Ruddy, too, seemed imbued with the spirit 
of help. He watched every move Rick made 
184 


UP A TREE 


185 


and when the lad sprang to the side of the 
motor boat, to peer over into the swirling 
waters, Ruddy was beside his young master, 
his paws on the gunwale, looking over the side 
also. 

Suddenly, as Rick gazed, he saw what at first 
he thought was a black ball bobbing about in the 
water. Then something white showed in con- 
nection with the ball and Rick realized that it 
was a human head and face he was looking at. 

^‘Here’s one of ’em!’^ Rick cried. ^‘Here’s 
one ! ’ ' 

The bobbing head of one of the shipwrecked 
lads — ^which one Rick could not tell — ^was swept 
nearer the side of the Black Eagle. Chot, who 
had moved up beside Rick, now stood close to 
him and Ruddy. 

‘‘Well get him!’’ shouted Chot, for he saw 
that the bobbing head was drifting within reach. 
Perhaps the boy to whom it belonged was 
swimming, but if so he was not helping himself 
much, either through weakness, inability or be- 
cause of the roughness of the water. 

“Grab him!” cried Chot to Rick as the float- 
ing, struggling lad came almost within reach. 
Rick and Chot did their best, but a drifting 


186 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


movement of the Black Eagle, the engine of 
which had been shut off, caused the craft to put 
some distance between her and the floating lad. 

He was out of the reach of Rick and Chot. 
But an instant later Rick shouted: 

‘‘Get him, Ruddy 

It was the signal the dog had been waiting 
for ! To him it was like some game he and Rick 
had often played — ^the game of throwing sticks 
into the lake to be brought out by the setter. 
Only this was a more desperate game. 

With a bark, perhaps to show his delight at 
getting into action, perhaps to encourage the 
unfortunate lad in the water. Ruddy sprang 
overboard, and, a few seconds later, swimming 
as he had never swam before, he had grasped 
the shipwrecked one by the collar. 

‘ ‘ Fetch him here. Ruddy ! Fetch him here ! ’ ’ 
cried Rick. 

“Oh, he’s got him!” shouted Chot. “Good 
dog!” 

Meanwhile, on the port side of the boat other 
things were happening. As soon as he realized 
that the Ethel had been swamped Mr. Taylor, 
casting off his shoes and coat, dived overboard 
and began to swim in the direction where the 


UP A TREE 


187 


missing craft was last seen. He knew his own 
boat was in no particular danger, since he had 
stopped the motor, and the Black Eagle was 
staunch enough to live even if she fell into the 
trough of the waves. 

with you!’’ cried Mr. Slade, as, cast- 
ing off some of his garments, he followed Mr. 
Taylor overboard. And each of them was for- 
tunate enough to grasp a shipwrecked camper, 
though the identities were not clear at first. 
Mr. Slade did not know whether he had hold 
of his own son or not. 

However, he knew that he had in his grasp 
a half-drowned and very much frightened lad, 
and, like the Scout Master, he struck out with 
all his strength for the safe haven of the motor 
boat. 

‘‘Pull him in, boys!” called Mr. Taylor to 
Hen and Tom, as he reached the swaying, heav- 
ing craft with his burden. “Pull him in!” 

Thus Sid Osborne was hauled over the gun- 
wale, a very limp and half -unconscious lad. 

By this time Ruddy had brought the youth 
he had saved near enough so that Rick and 
Chot could reach over and lift him in, which 
they did. 


188 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


“Sam Small exclaimed Rick, as lie recog- 
nized the rescued one. 

“Whereas Jack Slade T’ asked Chot, for by 
this time it was made clear that the boy the 
Scout Master had saved was Sid. 

Before any one could answer the question, 
Mr. Slade swam up with his son, and the limp 
form of Jack was hauled aboard. Then brave 
Ruddy was lifted in, to be received with cheers 
by his friends, while Rick threw his arms about 
his dog^s neck and silently hugged him. 

^ ‘ This is luck, indeed — all three saved ! ’ ’ cried 
Mr. Taylor. “Now we’d better get back to 
camp. ’ ’ 

“Can’t you — can’t we get the Ethelf^^ gasped 
Jack, who being a better swimmer than either 
of his companions, was not in such distress 
from having swallowed too much water. 

“The Ethel is sunk,” said his father. “You 
may be thankful you are alive, and you wouldn ’t 
be if Mr. Taylor and his boys hadn’t helped me 
with the rescue. The Ethel is at the bottom of 
the lake!” 

Jack looked woebegone enough to prohibit 
any further censure then. And while Mr. Tay- 
lor started the motor, and turned the boat’s 


UP A TREE 


189 


bow back toward the dock, Mr. Slade and the 
Boy Scouts made Sid, Jack and Sam as com- 
fortable as possible. 

In spite of the fact that it was summer, the 
storm was a cold one, and the shock of being 
tossed suddenly into the water had so unnerved 
all three shipwrecked lads that they shivered 
with chill and fear. They were wrapped in can- 
vas pieces, and huddled together for warmth. 
Fortunately the Black Eagle was a broad- 
beamed boat and roomy fore and aft, so there 
was space for the rescued ones. 

A little later, after battling against the ever- 
increasing storm, the Black Eagle was made 
fast to the dock, and there Aunt Irma and Ethel, 
who had been anxiously and tearfully waiting, 
received the news that all three rash lads had 
been saved. 

“I donT care if the boat is sunk, as long as 
you didnT drown, Jack,^’ his sister said, putting 
her arms around him. 

‘‘Perhaps we can salvage the boat,” sug- 
gested Mr. Taylor. “WeTl have a look after 
this storm.” 

“That part of the lake is rather deep,” said 
Mr. Slade. “I donT believe it will be much use 


190 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


to try. I can’t thank you and your boys now, 
Mr. Taylor,” be went on, and his voice was 
husky as he gripped the hand of the Scout Mas- 
ter. ^ ‘ But I think you know how I feel. ’ ’ 

‘‘Of course,” murmured Mr. Taylor. “Bet- 
ter get the boys into dry clothes, or they might 
take cold. I can lend you some extra suits if 
they haven ’t any. ’ ’ 

“Thank you, but I think they have.” 

“I’ll make them some hot lemonade,” offered 
Ethel. She seemed to have gotten over the 
fright caused by the drumming party, of which 
Rick could not think without an uncomfortable 
feeling. 

So Mr. Slade herded his son and the latter’s 
dripping companions up the hill and over to- 
ward their camp, while Mr. Taylor, having in- 
structed his Scouts to make fast the Black 
Eagle, went to his tent to don dry clothes. 

And the remainder of the day was spent by 
Rick and his chums in discussing what had 
happened, and in singing the praises of 
Ruddy, a dog loved, loving and altogether ex- 
traordinary in the opinions of his master and 
his master’s friends. 

It stormed for three days, and during that 


UP A TREE 


191 


time you can easily guess, even if you have not 
been lucky enough to go camping, that it was 
not overly pleasant in the woods. However, 
the Boy Scouts had learned, or were learning, 
to take the bad with the good, and they knew the 
sun would shine sooner or later — which it did, 
toward the close of the third day. 

‘‘Wedl dry out to-morrow,^’ said Mr. Tay- 
lor. And the next day, when Old Sol blazed 
down as if to make amends for his long absence, 
tents were opened top and bottom, damp blan- 
kets and garments were hung up to dry and 
there was a general slicking up of camp. 

Jack and his two chums were observed to be 
rowing about the place where the Ethel had 
gone down, and they made futile attempts to 
grapple for her with improvised hooks on the 
ends of ropes. Mr. Taylor and his Scouts also 
visited the place, endeavoring, by means of a 
water telescope (a wooden water pail with a 
square of glass set in the bottom) to get a view 
of the wreck on the bottom of Lake Evergreen. 
But they either miscalculated the location, or 
else the water and character of the bottom did 
not afford a view, for no trace of the sunken 
boat was discovered. 


192 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘Dad’s going to try to get another,” Jack 
had said, as he and his chums called at Camp 
Taylor one day, to express formal thanks for 
their rescue. 

“What made you go out so far in the storm?” 
asked the Scout Master. 

“Oh, just for fun,” Sam answered. It was 
really the only reply that could be made. 

As may readily be supposed, the saving of 
Jack and his chums from the lake brought about 
a more friendly feeling between the boys of the 
two camps, but though Rick tried to forget what 
Jack had done to Ruddy, he could not get out 
of his mind the memory of the kicks and the 
thrown stone. 

“I wouldn’t trust my dog with him alone — 
never ! ’ ’ decided Rick to himself. 

Taking advantage of the better acquaint- 
ance and more friendly feeling, the Scout Mas- 
ter one day decided to ask Mr. Slade about the 
mysterious cave. He wanted to find out who 
owned it, and why the owner seemed to object 
to any one venturing in. 

“I’ll see if I can’t get permission for us to 
explore it,” said Mr. Taylor to Rick and the 
other boys. ‘ ‘ Mr. Slade owns land in this vicin- 


UP A TREE 


193 


ity, and he inay know who owns the cave. It 
would seem to be an interesting place to visit.’’ 

'‘I wish we could go all through it,” said 
Tom. 

‘‘Maybe there’s an underground river or lake 
in it,” suggested Hen. 

“And maybe an old hermit lives there,” 
added Chot. “Maybe that’s who hollered 
at us.” 

Rick thought it strange that a “hermit” 
would wear such up-to-date garments as golf 
knickerbockers, but the lad said nothing of his 
suspicions. 

“You boys stay around camp — that is, don’t 
go too far away,” said Mr. Taylor. “I’ll go 
over and see Mr. Slade and ask him about the 
cave.” 

While some of the lads went fishing, in a 
little cove not very far distant from camp, 
others donned their swimming garments, and 
a few mended, as best they could, some rents in 
their clothes, or sewed on dangling and missing 
buttons. 

Rick and his three particular chums, with 
Ruddy, of course, decided on a little trip of 
their own. There had been talk in camp of 


194 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


holding a sort of athletic meet, of which one of 
the numbers would be a pole-vaulting contest. 
As there were no suitable long poles to be cut 
in the vicinity of the tents, Rick proposed that 
they look deeper in the woods for them. 

So, in accordance with this determination, he 
and his chums set out in the opposite direction 
from that taken by Mr. Taylor, who went to in- 
terview Mr. Slade about the mysterious cave. 

But poles of the kind Rick and the other boys 
wanted were not so easily come upon, and they 
wandered farther away than they intended. 
However, they had a compass and did not imag- 
ine they would lose their way. 

However, that is just what happened, thougn 
the boys did not realize it for some little time. 
It was not until the shadows began to lengthen, 
and they had secured only two of the four poles 
they needed, that Rick, looking around, said : 

‘‘We’d better be getting back, fellows!” 

‘ ‘ That ’s right ! ’ ’ agreed Chot. “We can come 
out again to-morrow.” 

But when they turned, to retrace their steps, 
as they thought, they realized that they had 
gotten on a strange trail. And, as usual, there 


UP A TREE 


195 


was a difference of opinion as to tlie right way 
back to camp. 

They went some distance in one direction, and 
then tried another, Ruddy running along some- 
times in advance and sometimes lagging be- 
hind. He was not at all worried, as the boys 
were beginning to be. 

It was during one of the periods when Ruddy 
was absent, prospecting by himself in some un- 
derbrush, that Chot called : 

‘ ‘ Maybe your dog knows the way back, Rick. ^ ^ 

‘‘Sure, I guess he does,^’ Rick answered. “I 
never thought of that. I dl tell him to go home — 
which means camp now — and well follow him. 
Here, Ruddy ! Ruddy ! ’ ^ he called. 

There was a crackling and rustling in the 
underbrush, as though the dog were approach- 
ing, and the next instant there burst into the 
clearing where the boys stood two tawny and 
yellowish spotted animals, with fierce eyes, and 
slightly tufted ears. With snarls of rage the 
beasts sprang forward as Rick cried: 

“Wildcats! Wildcats, fellows! Take to a 
tree!’’ 

Without a moment of hesitation he sprang 


196 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


for tlie nearest, an example followed by bis 
chums, and not a moment too soon, for the 
foremost of the wildcats made a savage snap 
at Chot ’s feet as that lad pulled them up out of 
reach, climbing the tree he had selected. 


CHAPTER XX 


A MISSING DOG 

W ITH savage snarls and growls of rage 
the two wildcats, baffled for the mo- 
ment in their attacks on the boys, drew away 
and seemed to be plotting together as they stood 
in the midst of the little clearing looking at the 
treed Scouts. At least the wildcats appeared 
to be consulting, for they put their heads to- 
gether and then turned their baleful yellow eyes 
on Rick and his chums. 

With wildly-beating hearts the lads held their 
positions in the trees, climbing up higher after 
they had managed to catch their breaths fol- 
lowing the first excited leap for safety. 

“Where did they come from?’’ called Chot, 
who was next to Rick, each in a tree of his own, 
while Tom and Hen had picked out one to share 
between them. 

‘ ‘ They must have their den around here some- 
197 


198 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


where/’ remarked Tom. “They came out all 
of a sudden, as if we’d gone too close to their 
young ones.” 

“I believe we did,” asserted Rick. “Other- 
wise they wouldn’t have come out at us the way 
they did.” 

“Oh, I guess wildcats are savage enough to 
do that,” declared Hen. “Say, they’re fierce 
all right ! Look out ! Here they come ! ’ ’ 

* ‘ Break oif a club and bang ’em over the head 
if they climb up!” advised Tom, suiting his 
action to the words. 

The two wildcats, bobcats or bay lynxes, by 
which various names they are known, seemed 
made more savage than before, at hearing the 
sounds of the boys ’ voices. With louder growls 
and snarls of rage the tawny beasts, one select- 
ing the tree which held Rick, and the other the 
tree up which Tom and Hen had climbed, be- 
gan an ascent, their sharp claws tearing oif bits 
of bark. 

“Get a club, Rick!” called Chot, from his 
tree. 

“Guess I’ll have to,” asserted Ruddy’s mas- 
ter. “Where’s my dog, anyhow?” 

There was no trace of the setter, and for an 


A MISSING DOG 


199 


instant Rick liad a strange feeling about bis 
heart as be realized that tbe bobcats might have 
killed faithful Ruddy. 

Up scrambled the two fierce beasts, for a 
wildcat is a synonym for fighting ability, and 
you have but to recall the frontier days, when 
a man was accounted the acme of aggression if 
he could ‘‘fight his weight in wildcats.’’ 

The wildcats which had treed Rick and his 
chums were not as large as the Canadian lynx, 
but matched it in cunning and fierceness. 
The ear tufts were not as large and the color 
was a deeper yellow, in many cases with more 
conspicuous black spots underneath. 

Wildcats do not generally weigh more than 
thirty pounds, even the largest, but with that 
weight, were they as fierce as some story 
books assert, they would be awkward customers 
to meet in the woods. 

However, most wildcats are shy, and only 
venture out at night, when they are sufficiently 
destructive to poultry and even lambs, to make 
them a menace to farmers. 

Wildcats are excellent tree climbers, though, 
as a matter of fact, they spend most of their 
time on the ground, stalking rabbits, chipmunks 


200 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


and squirrels, probably venturing into trees 
after the two latter classes of prey. The bobcat 
also catches ground-frequenting birds, such as 
quail. 

Though ordinarily hunters and campers in 
the woods have nothing to fear from wildcats, 
there are exceptions to this general rule, as 
Rick and his chums found. And, as it developed 
later, they had unintentionally disturbed, or 
come too near, the den of a pair of the bobcats 
which were rearing their young in a cave-like 
hollow. 

It was this anxiety for their young that had 
made these cats so aggressive, so that they 
actually obliged the Scouts to take to trees. 
Perhaps if Rick and his chums had boldly faced 
the pair of tawny brutes, and had used clubs, 
they might have driven them off. But the first 
instinct of the boys was to leap up trees, and, 
very likely, this was the safest course under the 
circumstances. 

And so it was by a combination of circum- 
stances that Rick and his chums thus found 
themselves treed as night was coming on. They 
were some distance from camp, they did not 


A MISSING DOG 


201 


know the path back, Buddy was not in evidence 
and the wildcats were climbing up after the 
boys. A bad combination! 

‘^Get down, you yellow imp!” cried Eick, 
trying by the fierce tones of bis voice to instill 
courage into bis own heart. ‘ ‘ Take that ! ’ ’ 

He bad broken off a heavy piece of a branch 
from near where he was perched in the tree, 
and as the cat climbed up, spitting and snarl- 
ing, the Scout brought the club down as bard 
as be could on the bead of the beast. 

But the wood was rotten, a fact of which Eick 
was not aware, and it broke without having in- 
flicted much damage on the wildcat. 

With another snarl of rage the tawny crea- 
ture scrambled up closer to Eick, who, in an 
excess'^ of fear, grasped a limb above him with 
both hands. 

‘‘Kick him, Eick! Kick him!” cried Chot, 
seeing which way the battle was likely to go. 
“Kick him in the snoot!” 

And kick Eick did, with both feet, to such 
good purpose that be turned aside the attack 
of the snapping jaws with their rows of sharp 
teeth. 


202 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


The wildcat lost its grip and an instant later 
half fell, half scrambled down the tree trunk 
to the ground. 

‘^Good work, Rick!^’ shouted Chot. In the 
gathering dusk he noticed a look of pain on his 
chum’s face. 

‘^Did he nip you!” Chot asked. 

‘ ‘ A little — on my foot, ’ ’ Rick answered. ^ ‘ He 
bit right through my shoe!” And the wildcat 
had done just that, the tough leather seeming 
to offer little resistance. 

Meanwhile Tom and Hen were having a fight 
with the cat that had started to climb their 
tree, but the two boys had managed to break 
otf clubs of sound wood and as the head of the 
beast came within reach they banged away with 
all the energy they could bring to bear. 

The result was that the wildcat had really no 
chance. He was so fiercely beaten that, with 
a howl of dismay, he turned and slid, down the 
tree more quickly than he had climbed up. 

Thus the two bobcats were vanquished in the 
first round of fighting, so to speak. But they 
were far from being knocked out. Growling 
and spitting, almost as does the house cat when 
attacked by a dog, the two tawny creatures 


A MISSING DOG 


203 


seemed to hold another council of war together 
in the darkening clearing at the foot of the 
trees. 

<< They 're coming up again!" yelled Rick as 
he saw one of the cats approaching his tree. 

“Get a better club," advised Chot. “I've 
got one if I could throw it to you. ' ' 

“Better keep it for yourself," Rick advised. 

And then, suddenly from the fast-gathering 
darkness of the woods rang out a bark. 

“Ruddy!" cried Rick. “Here comes my 
dog!" 

And indeed the setter, having winded the 
pungent smell of the wildcats, had turned from 
a peaceful trailing of a rabbit and come to the 
rescue. 

Ordinarily a setter is not a fierce dog, being 
of too gentle a disposition. But even a poodle, 
I suppose, may turn and attack an enemy of 
his master, and this is what Ruddy did. Sav- 
agely barking, and with eyes fairly blazing to 
add weight to his other arguments, the red 
setter leaped to the attack. 

The wildcats, which had started again ,to 
ascend the trees, turned at the approach of this 
new enemy. Without a moment of hesitation. 


204 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Ruddy sprang in and nipped one of the beasts 
on the flank. The lynx turned like a flash, out 
shot a paw armed with savage claws, and Ruddy 
sprang away with a howl of pain. He received 
some severe scratches from the razor-like claws, 
it developed later. 

Nothing daunted, however. Ruddy sprang for 
the other beast, but he did not get a chance to 
bite, for the wildcat turned and ran. However, 
its mate, with a savage snarl, jumped for Ruddy 
and it might have fared ill with the dog had not 
Rick scrambled down the tree and leaped to 
aid his pet. Disregarding all danger to him- 
self, the boy caught up a heavy piece of branch 
and, running up, dealt the remaining cat a blow 
across the back, just as it was about to leap on 
Ruddy. 

‘‘Come on, fellows!’’ shouted Chot, scram- 
bling down from his tree. “We’ve got ’em on 
the run!” 

Ruddy, encouraged by the presence of his 
master, again jumped forward and got in a sub- 
stantial bite on the other flank of the yellow 
creature, drawing blood. And this, with Rick’s 
attack, was too much for the lynx. With a 
howl and snarl it turned and a moment later 


A MISSING DOG 


205 


neither of the two was in sight. Hen and Tom 
climbed down to join their chums, and Ruddy, 
eager to be revenged for the slashes he had re- 
ceived, plunged into the bushes. 

‘‘Come back! Come back!’’ yelled Rick. 
‘ ‘ They ’ll tear you to pieces ! Come bacJi ! ’ ’ 

Reluctantly Ruddy obeyed, but he continued 
to bark and growl, and the hair along his spine 
rose up in a little ridge as he turned and faced 
the place where the bushes had closed on the 
wildcats. 

“We’d better be getting out of here,” said 
Chot. 

‘ ‘ I guess so, ’ ’ agreed Rick. ‘ ‘ They may bring 
back the whole family of bobcats!” 

“I didn’t know any were in these woods,” 
said Tom. 

“We know it now,” added Hen grimly. 
“Let’s go — but which way?” 

It was the question which had worried the 
boys before the advent of the bobcats. 

“Let’s leave it to Ruddy— I’ve done it be- 
fore, when I was lost,” suggested Rick, and this 
was done. “Home, Ruddy!” commanded the 
lad, and, pausing in his first aid work of licking 
his cuts with his tongue (a dog’s most reliable 


206 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


medical agent) Ruddy started off through the 
woods, over which darkness was rapidly fall- 
ing. The boys followed. 

Very much excited, and yet feeling that they 
had come out of the affair with credit, thanks 
to Ruddy, Rick and his chums tramped on. 
And it was not long before they heard shouts 
which, answering, they learned came from their 
camp comrades and the Scout Master who had 
set out in search of them. 

‘‘Got lost, did youT’ asked Mr. Taylor, when 
they were back in camp. ‘ ‘ Did you forget your 
woodlore?’’ 

“I guess the wildcats scared it out of us,” 
laughed Chot. 

“Wildcats,” mused , the Scout Master. 
“They’re not dangerous ordinarily, but you 
must have been too near their den of young. 
We’ll have a look around there.” 

This was done a few days later. Ruddy’s 
scratches having partly healed meanwhile, and 
Rick’s having been found to be slight. And 
though the den was deserted, the location was 
found and a hunter, encountered by the Scouts, 
said he had a glimpse of the family of wildcats 
moving to a new location. 


A MISSING DOG 


207 


The adventure that befell Eick and his chums 
and dog made the other Scout campers long for 
something of the same sort to happen to them, 
and several parties strayed so far from camp — 
though none was actually lost— that Mr. Taylor 
had to forbid this inviting of dangerous hap- 
penings. 

The summer days were passing, each one a 
source of joy in itself, and the whole season a 
complete delight, even with occasional storms. 
Mr. Taylor ^s plan of asking Mr. Slade about 
the mysterious cave could not be carried out, 
as the latter left camp soon after the sinking 
of the motor boat, and his sister did not know 
when he would return. He was away on busi- 
ness, she said. Mr. Taylor did not like to ask 
her about the cave, and he was thinking of ap- 
pealing to some of the old residents of the local- 
ity when a series of events happened which 
eventually solved the whole affair. 

Eick and his three particular chums had been 
otf fishing one day, and were returning rather 
late, but with good strings to their credit, when 
Eick stopped to call Euddy. 

‘‘Here, boy!’’ he shouted, but there was no 
answering bark. Several times that day the 


208 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


setter had lagged behind, and Rick had been 
obliged to go back after him. This time, in 
spite of calls and whistles, Ruddy did not come 
racing along. 

‘‘I’ve got to get him,” Rick said to his chums. 
“He’s getting too wild. He may trail those 
bobcats and be clawed all to pieces. You fel- 
lows go on. I can find my way back to camp 
after I get Ruddy.” 

Chot and the others agreed to wait, or even 
go back with Rick to look for the missing dog, 
but Rick would not allow this. 

“You go on — ^I’ll follow,” he said. “I guess 
Ruddy isn’t far back.” 


CHAPTER XXI 


ETHEL IS LOST 

^ THERE you fellows beenl^^ demanded 

V V Dick Runyon as lie saw Tom, Cliot 
and Hen entering camp by the trail from the 
Fishing Hole. 

‘‘We been waiting for you,’’ added Luke 
Borden. 

‘ ‘ What ’s the matter ? ’ ’ asked Chot. ‘ ‘ What ’s 
up? Can’t you see where we’ve been?” and 
proudly he held up his string of fish. 

“Well, you’re just in time,” went on Dick. 
“Oh, boy! It’s great!” 

“For the love of apple dumplings, what is 
it?” asked Tom. “Have they discovered gold 
in the cave?” 

“Or found out who it was that spoiled our 
clambake?” Hen wanted to know. 

“It’s something good to eat!” guessed Chot. 

“Right you are !” sung out Dick. “Roasting 

209 


210 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


ears of corn! A farmer brought ’em to Mr. 
Taylor, and we ’re going to build fires and have 
’em roasted for supper.” 

‘ ‘ Great ! ’ ’ exclaimed Tom. ‘ ' That ’s sure good 
news!” 

‘^Where’s Eick and Buddy?” asked Luke, 
for the boy and dog were seldom seen sep- 
arately. 

‘‘Rick’s coming,” answered Chot. “Buddy 
got on the trail of a rabbit or something and 
hung back. Bick’s gone after him.” 

Mr. Taylor came up in time to hear this ex- 
planation and nodded understandingly. 

“Clean your fish, boys,” he advised, for 
that was one of the rules of camp. “You had 
dandy luck ! Then we ’ll have grub. There are 
enough roasting ears for all to have enough. I 
hope Bick isn’t going to be late.” 

“He’ll be right along,” said Chot. “Espe- 
cially if he smells grub.” 

But when the fish had been cleaned, and some 
prepared to be fried for supper, and when the 
roasting ears were ready to be put near the 
embers, Bick had not arrived. 

“Well,” observed the Scout Master, looking 
at his watch and then taking an observation of 


ETHEL IS LOST 


211 


the fast-setting sun, “we won’t wait for him 
He must take ‘pot-luek,’ though there’ll be 
plenty left for him. He should not be late, 
though I can understand why he didn’t want to 
come in without his dog. Get ready for grub, 
fellows ! ’ ^ 

Mr. Taylor had taught the Scouts some of the 
simpler fundamentals of cooking over a camp 
fire, and they could also get up meals by using 
the oil stove, which was the more practical 
method, however picturesque and poetical a 
Gypsy kettle seems. 

It is, however, not much of a trick to cook 
over an open fire if you observe a few simple 
rules. Construct a sort of fireplace with stones 
placed upright to shelter the blaze and make a 
primitive stove, over which pots and pans may 
be set. If the opening between the three up- 
right stones (one at the back and two at the 
sides) is too large to be spanned by small pans, 
put some iron rods, an old stove oven-grate or 
even some wire or iron barrel hoops across the 
opening. You can broil a steak on this wire, or 
iron grill, if you have no broiler. 

If you have to build an open fire in a storm, 
slant over it, from the rear, a sheet of tin, no 


212 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


matter how old and battered. This will keep 
the fire from being drowned by the rain, and 
will also keep the water or snowflakes out of 
whatever you are cooking if you have no pot 
or pan covers. 

So the Boy Scouts of Camp Taylor cooked 
their evening meal, especially the roasting ears 
of corn, over an open fire, waiting until the 
embers were cherry red and hot, thus throwing 
out no smoke. 

‘‘Oh, boy!” cried Chot, as he buttered his 
roast corn ear and bit into it, using due caution 
on account of the heat. 

‘ ‘ Best I ever tasted 1 ’ ’ mumbled Tom. 

“I wish I could always live in camp,” sighed 
Hen. 

“’TisnT so much fun in winter, is it, Mr. 
Taylor?” asked Chot. 

“Well, that depends on how you look at it,” 
the Scout Master answered. “ I Ve been in some 
winter camps that I enjoyed very much, and 
though it was cold we didn’t seem to mind it. 
Of course you can’t do any motor boating, but 
there is skating and sledding to make up for it.” 

“And fishing through the ice!” exclaimed 
Tom. “How about that?” 


ETHEL IS LOST 


213 


‘‘That is sport, too, but not very exciting 
sport,” admitted tbe Scout Master. ‘‘Just 
sitting waiting for a pickerel to ring tbe bell, or 
jerk tbe red flag, isn’t very exciting. But of 
course if you’re fishing for fisb to eat you can 
get along without excitement. And you surely 
have appetites in a winter camp ! ’ ’ 

“Let’s go some day,” proposed Cbot, reach- 
ing for another roasted ear. 

“Sure!” came a chorus of assents. 

“Not until we finish this, though,” stipulated 
Hen. “This is too good to miss! It’s too bad 
Rick can’t have some!” 

“Yes,” agreed the Scout Master. “I wish 
he’d come along. As soon as any of you have 
finished I wish you’d go a little way back 
along the trail and give him a shout. He may 
not realize how late it is getting. ’ ’ 

“He wQuld if he was as hungry as I was!” 
declared Chot. 

He and Tom finished a little later — that is 
they were filled for the time being, though they 
reserved the right to eat more later if they so 
desired. And then Tom and Chot started down 
the path on which they had left Rick turning 
back to seek his missing dog. 


214 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘‘Hi, Rick!’’ called Ckot, and they paused, 
waiting for an answer. But none came, save the 
echoes of his own voice. 

“Ho, Ruddy!” called Tom. 

Again the echoes were the only replies. 

The two boys walked back, perhaps a quarter 
of a mile, calling at intervals, but with no suc- 
cess. 

“Ruddy must have run away,” suggested 
Tom. 

“Looks so,” admitted Chot. “And Rick 
wouldn’t be satisfied until he found him.” 

“I guess we wouldn’t either, if we had a dog 
like that,” said Tom. 

“That’s right,” assented his chum. 

The boys were anxious now, for it was getting 
dusk, and there was neither sight nor sound of 
Rick or Ruddy. 

“We’ll go to the top of the next hill,” stip- 
ulated Chot, though they had, some time since, 
passed the place where they had left Rick. “If 
we can’t see him — or hear him or Ruddy from 
there — ^we’ll go back to camp.” 

“I guess if he isn’t back then, we’ll all have 
to start out and hunt him,” said Tom. 


ETHEL IS LOST 


215 


‘‘How could he get back? We haven’t met 
him ! ’ ’ 

“He might have gone around some other 
way. ’ ’ 

“That’s so. Well, we’ll give a good shout 
when we get to the top of the next hill.” 

However, shout and call as Tom and Chot 
did, there was neither yell of boy nor bark of 
dog in answer, and, waiting a little while, the 
two searchers returned to camp. 

As they approached the tents in the clearing 
they saw a group of their chums gathered about 
the Scout Master and another (man. There 
seemed to be some excitement. 

“Who’s that?” asked Chot, evidently re- 
ferring to the strange man. It was getting on 
toward night now, and they could not see dis- 
tinctly. 

“Looks like Mr. Slade,” said Tom. 

“It is,” agreed Chot, as they drew nearer and 
had a better view. “I wonder if anything has 
happened?” 

Their approach was unnoticed, and the at- 
tention of the two lads was divided between 
finding out the cause of the visit of Mr. Slade 


216 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


and looking to see if Rick and Ruddy had re- 
turned by some other trail. The last had 
evidently not taken place, however, for neither 
boy nor dog was in sight. 

Mr. Taylor and Mr. Slade were talking 
earnestly as Tom and Chot approached, their 
advance being heralded by several of their 
chums. 

‘‘Did you find himT^ asked the Scout Master, 
wheeling about. 

“No,^’ answered Chot. “We called and 
called, hut he didn’t answer.” 

“Who is missing?” asked Mr. Slade. 

“Rick Dalton and his dog Ruddy,” answered 
the Scout Master. “However, I do not believe 
it will amount to anything. The hoys were com- 
ing hack from fishing and Ruddy lagged. Rick 
just went hack to make him come along. But 
I wish he wouldn’t delay so. He has missed 
his supper. However, that needn’t interfere 
with us helping you, Mr. Slade. We’ll get up 
a party at once.” 

“And I’ll send Jack and his two chums over,” 
added the other man. “They’ll put themselves 
under your instructions, Mr. Taylor, though 
neither of them is a Scout.” 


ETHEL IS LOST 


217 


‘^Oh, that’s all right,” said the Master with 
a genial smile. ‘^They don’t have to belong to 
the Scouts.” 

^‘I’m going to see that they join — at least my 
boy will — after we get back home, ’ ’ went on the 
man. * ‘ But I do hope you can find her, for she 
never has stayed out as late as this before, 
especially when alone.” 

‘‘Who else is gone?” asked Chot. 

“Ethel Slade,” answered Mr. Taylor. “Her 
father just came over to ask us to help look for 
her. She went out to gather some wild flowers, 
and her aunt saw her, a little while before sup- 
per, on the side hill. But she hasn’t come home. 
We’ll go and find her.” 

‘ ‘ Sure ! ’ ’ agreed the boys. 

“I hope nothing has happened,” spoke her 
father. “Ethel is subject to spells of sightless- 
ness, and one of these may have come upon her. 
That’s why we never want her to go off by her- 
self. But she has seemed so well, since coming 
here to camp, that her aunt and I both thought 
that the spells would pass. My poor little girl I 
I hope she is all right!” he said, with a catch 
in his voice. 

“Oh, we’ll find her!” declared Mr. Taylor. 


218 


EICK AND EUDDY IN CAMP, 


^‘Why, Eick may have met her in the woods, 
and be leading her home. He’d have to go 
slowly if she were unable to see. I think we’ll 
find them both all right, Mr. Slade.” 

“I’m sure I hope so,” was the comment of 
Ethel’s father. “Night is coming on, and there 
are so many dangerous places — the wildcats 
may attack her ” 

“Oh, don’t say that!” cried a woman’s voice 
and out of the gloom came walking Ethel’s Aunt 
Irma. “I can’t bear to hear you say that!” 
she went on. “It’s bad enough to have her 
missing, without suggesting wildcats!” 

“I don’t believe you’ll find any of those beasts 
so near the camps as Ethel must be,” said the 
Scout Master. “We’ll probably locate her in 
a little while. Let’s get ready for a night search, 
fellows !” 

His brisk, cheery manner seemed to hearten 
Mr. Slade and his sister. 

“It’s so good to have the Boy Scouts to de- 
pend on, ’ ’ said Aunt Irma. 

“We’ll have your nephew and his chums, 
too,” suggested Mr. Taylor, wishing to have 
the other lads get some credit. 


ETHEL IS LOST 


219 


go tell them to hurry and join you,^’ 
offered Mr. Slade. 

As he started from the Scout camp, with his 
sister, to go to his own, there arose on the even- 
ing air a weird, shrill cry. It smote the silence 
suddenly, and caused more than one to start in 
nameless fear. 

^‘What — ^v^hat was that!^’ whispered Miss 
Slade. 

“Sounded like a wildcat,’’ answered Chot, 
before he realized what he was saying. 


CHAPTER XXII 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 

R ick halt on, with Ms string of fish, 
having turned aside from his chums, to 
go hack on the trail and get his dog Ruddy, 
walked slowly through the beautiful woods. 
Somewhere in the distance a loud-voiced crov; 
gave utterance to : 

“Haw! Haw! Haw!’' 

That is what crows really say, rather than 
‘ ‘ Caw ! ’ ’ Rick knew, for at home he had a tame 
crow “Haw Haw” by name, which black bird 
he and Ruddy had found injured in the woods 
the summer before. 

“I sorter wish I had Haw Haw here with 
me,” mused Rick, as he walked along kicking 
aside the dried leaves. “He could whistle for 
Ruddy better than I can.” 

Rick had taught his crow to whistle, and, for 
a time Haw Haw had all the dogs in Belemere 
220 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 


221 


chasing around looking for their masters, whose 
clarion calls the bird so cleverly imitated. 

‘‘Yes, if I had Haw Haw I could get him to 
whistle Ruddy back to me, ’ ’ mused Rick. ‘ ‘ But 
as long as he isn^t here Idl have to do it 
myself. ’ ’ 

He put two of his fingers in his mouth, and 
sent forth a shrill, piercing blast which, it 
seemed, no dog could hear and resist. But 
Ruddy was either too far off to hear it, or else 
he decided to ignore the summons for the time 
being, a bad habit the setter had on occasions. 

“Here, Ruddy! Ruddy!’’ called Rick, but 
there was no answering bark. And it was these 
summoning calls, on the part of Rick, that his 
chums, Tom, Hen and Chot, heard as they left 
him and made their way to camp. 

“Well, I guess you’re going to make me go 
all the way back to the fishing hole after you, ’ ’ 
said Rick to himself, having waited a little while 
after his last whistle and call. “You’re a good 
dog. Ruddy, but you do play the queerest tricks 
sometimes ! ’ ’ 

Yet, in spite of this, Rick could not help lov- 
ing Ruddy, and he wished his dog were there 
with him now, with all his faults, that he might 


222 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


look into the clear, loving, brown eyes of the 
animal; that he might slip his arm around 
Ruddy’s neck and fondle the long, silky 
ears. 

This is the best summer I ’ve ever had, or 
Ruddy either, I guess,” mused Rick, as he 
thought of the joys of camp life — ^joys present 
and to come. ‘^I’d like to find out about that 
cave, though, ’ ’ the lad said half aloud. ‘ ‘ There 
sure is something queer about it.” 

And, as he tramped along, he began to think 
that there was something queer, also, about the 
continued absence of Ruddy. Seldom before, 
on fishing or other boyish expeditions, had the 
setter absented himself so long. Often Ruddy 
would race off after a rabbit, real or imaginary, 
but eventually he came back of his own accord, 
or because of the commanding voice or whistle 
of his master. 

‘‘Something sure is wrong!” said Rick, half 
aloud. ‘ ‘ I wonder if Jack, or any of those other 
fellows, could have caught Ruddy ” 

He did not want to say what he thought. 

“Oh, they couldn’t be mean to him after what 
he did — ^jumping in and pulling out Sam Small 
when the motorboat sank,” Ruddy went on> 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 


223 


‘‘Besides Sid and Sam aren’t as mean as Jack 
is toward dogs. I wonder what makes hiTn hate 
’em so — especially Ruddy?” 

Thinking on this subject, wondering if he and 
his chums would ever get to the bottom of the 
mystery of the phosphorus face in the mysteri- 
ous cave, and beginning to realize that it was 
getting late, and that he would soon be expected 
back at camp, Rick trudged on. 

“It wouldn’t be much of a joke if I got lost 
now, all by myself,” thought the boy. “Still, 
I’ve got some matches, and I could cook these 
fish if I had to. And I guess I’ve got a little 
lunch left.” 

Rick opened the knapsack which was slung 
over his shoulder. He and his chums had taken 
a “snack” with them on their fishing trip, and 
now the lad was glad to find that he had some- 
thing left — some bread and butter, a hard-boiled 
egg, salt and pepper and a cookie or two. He 
had packed up more than he had really needed. 
But the fishing was so good that none of the 
boys had spent much time on their lunch. 

“I may need this. But if I don’t. Ruddy can 
eat it — if I can find him,” thought Rick. 

And, as he tramped along, rustling among the 


224 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


fallen leaves, he began to be really worried 
about bis dog. 

‘‘Maybe he’s caught in a trap, like Sallie the 
cat was once,’’ mused Rick. “Or maybe be^s 
fallen into some hole, or cave. There’s a lot 
of them around here in these hills. Gosh! I 
wish I could find him ! ’ ’ 

Rick looked about him. He had left the trail 
leading back to the fishing hole and had, some- 
how or other, branched off on a half-defined 
path that was not familiar to him. He was 
dovm in a sort of rocky defile, or gorge, and 
though he did not know his exact location, he 
was not at all alarmed for he felt sure he could 
find his way hack to camp. 

The gorge was a long one, winding in and out, 
and it had once been the bed of a stream of 
considerable size. Even now there was a brook 
running through the center, trickling over 
mossy stones. In the spring the melting snows 
turned this brook into a raging torrent. 

^V“This is just the place where Ruddy would 
get on the trail of a rabbit or something,” 
thought Rick, as he looked along the lonely de- 
file. “Guess I’ll follow it a ways. I’ve got 
time enough.” 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 


225 


He tried to look up at the sun, to judge how 
near setting time it was, but down in that rocky 
gash of the earth no sun was visible. It was 
dark and gloomy, but Rick was not afraid, for, 
somehow, he felt that Ruddy was near. 

The boy paused and listened intently. The 
only sounds borne to his ears were the trickle 
of water in the rill, the wind among the trees 
and the distant flutter and call of unseen birds. 

‘ ‘ Ruddy ! Oh, Ruddy ! ’ ’ shouted Rick, loudly. 

He paused to listen, but only the same half- 
mufiled sounds came to him. There was no 
answering bark from his dog. 

Again putting his fingers to his mouth, Rick 
sent forth that shrill, penetrating whistle. He 
listened again, but there was no quick pattering 
of feet which told that Ruddy was racing back 
to him. 

‘‘He sure did run off this time,’’ said the lad 
to himself. “Well, I’m not going back with- 
out him!” 

Resolutely Rick set oif along the trail of the 
gorge. Its rocky sides of shale and bowlders 
rose higher and higher as he passed along, and 
the place became more and more gloomy as the 
unseen sun sank lower and lower in the west. 


226 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Up above, on the level, tbe beams might yet 
be visible. But they shone only for a small part 
of the day in this defile, and in certain sheltered 
spots, under overhanging rocks, snow had been 
known to last in this lonesome place until early 
July. 

Rick had advanced more than a mile along 
the gorge, and he began to realize that he was 
a long way from camp when, just as he was 
about to whistle again, and call his dog, his 
attention was attracted by a rustling in the 
underbrush just ahead of him, and to his left. 
Instantly his eyes sought this spot, and he 
caught sight of the movement of some animal. 
The color seemed to be a deep yellow, and 
for a moment Rick thought he had come upon 
a den of wildcats. 

He looked about for a club or stone to catch 
up as a weapon, and was about to drop his 
string of fish to secure a heavy stick, when the 
rustling became louder and out, as though from 
a hole in the side of the gorge, bounded — a 
dog! 

‘‘Ruddy! You gosh-hanged chump!’’ cried 
Rick in joyous condemnation of his pet. “You 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 


227 


old rapscallion! What in the name of jimpity 
jumping jacks did you want to run away fori 
Look what you made me do! Tramp all the 
way back here ! ^ ’ 

It did not seem to worry Ruddy in the least. 
With a happy bark he sprang upon Rick, pre- 
tending to bite him, and almost knocking the 
lad down, so excited was the dog. 

‘^Down! Down !” commanded Rick. ‘‘What^s 
the matter with you, anyhow I Where you 
been?’’ 

As if to answer, and show Rick just where 
he had been. Ruddy, with an inviting bark, ran 
back toward the tangle of bushes whence he 
had emerged a moment before. The dog 
paused before diving into the midst of the green 
foliage as though inviting Rick to follow. 

‘‘Come here. Ruddy!” commanded the boy. 

The dog barked, and there was in that bark 
something which Rick at once understood. He 
had heard Ruddy utter it before. It was as 
though the dog had plainly said : 

“Come here. Master! There is something 
you ought to look at ! ” 

Rick understood at once. Not merely from 


228 


EICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


some idle whim would his dog stand there, 
looking back and wagging his tail so invitingly 
and entreatingly. 

‘‘What’s the matter? WTiat’s the matter, old 
boy? Got something?” asked Rick, taking a 
fresh grip on his string of fish and walking 
toward his dog. “Maybe you’ve discovered a 
nest of wildcat kittens,” Rick went on. “If 
you have, we’re going to let ’em alone! I 
don’t fancy having the father and mother bob- 
cat get after me here ! Not much ! ’ ’ 

Ruddy’s excitement increased as he saw his 
master approaching. The dog waited until 
Rick was almost at his side and then the intel- 
ligent animal made a dive through the bushes, 
and Rick saw that his pet had gone into a black 
hole, a cave-like opening in the side of the rocky 
hill. It was dark and forbidding but Ruddy 
never hesitated. 

In he ran and then he turned and barked, 
the echoes of the place making the sound repeat 
itself in a weird manner. It was as though 
Ruddy said to Rick: 

“Come on! Never mind the dark! Come 
on!” 

And Rick, wondering what his dog had dis- 


THE DISMAL CAVERN 


229 


covered to make him act thus strangely, pressed 
on. He found himself in what was, evidently, 
the vestibule of a vast cavern, a cave under 
the hill. The entrance was so overgrown with 
vines and bushes that only a dog could have 
discovered it. 

‘ ‘ Wait a minute. Ruddy ! Come here ! ’ ’ cried 
Rick, fumbling in his pocket for his electric 
flash light. ‘ ‘ Here ! ’ ^ 

The dog came hack, barking and obedient 
enough this time. He wanted Rick to advance 
farther, and to bring that about Ruddy knew 
he must act as guide. 

As the rays from his small but powerful 
lamp illuminated the place where he stood, Rick 
saw that he was within a dismal cavern — very 
similar to the one he and the Boy Scouts had 
so unsuccessfully explored near their camp. 
The sides and roof, as well as the floor, were of 
solid rook, and Rick thought he could hear the 
trickle of water in the distance. 

‘‘What place is this, Ruddy?’’ asked Rick in 
a whisper, but his voice was so magnified by 
the echoes that it startled him by the loudness. 

Ruddy barked again, with such energy that, 
multiplied as his tones were by the reverbera- 


230 


EICK AND EUDDY IN CAMP 


tions, several loose pieces of rock were brought 
clattering down. 

A little shiver of fear passed over Eick. 

‘‘This is a good place to keep out of, unless 
you have a crowd with you,’’ thought the boy. 
And then his heart was set to thumping so 
rapidly that it almost choked him as, from 
somewhere in the gloom of the cavern, a voice 
cried : 

“Buddy I Buddy! Where are you? Don’t 
leave me! Oh, Buddy!” 


CHAPTER XXIII 


ON THE TRAIL 

E thel SLADE Aunt Irma, who had come 
over to Camp Taylor to help her brother 
arrange for a searching party to take the trail 
after the missing girl, almost screamed when, 
following that weird cry, Chot Benson rashly 
suggested it might he a wildcat. 

“Nonsense!^’ exclaimed the Scout Master, 
giving Chot a nudge to tell him not to say any- 
thing more. ‘‘ICs probably Rick coming back 
with his dog. He’s always yelling and shout- 
ing.” 

This was true, in a measure, but this time it 
did not happen to be Rick or Ruddy. They 
were far away from camp. 

‘‘Oh, to think of poor Ethel, unable to see, 
out among the wild beasts!” cried her aunt. 
“It is terrible! Can’t you do something?” she 
appealed to her brother. 

“We’re going to start out right away,” he 

231 


232 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


answered. ‘^I’m sorry we delayed so long, but 
I kept hoping she would come back. ’ ’ 

‘^Do you think one of her blind spells has 
come over herT^ asked Mr. Taylor. 

‘‘I’m afraid so,” the father answered. “I’U 
go back with you, and hurry up Jack and his 
chums,” he said to his sister. “But will you 
be afraid to stay in the cabin alone while we’re 
out searching? We may be gone half the 
night.” 

“I’m going with you!” declared Miss Slade. 
“Y'es, I am!” she insisted as Ethel’s father 
shook his head. “You know I’m used to hik- 
ing, and I simply will not stay alone in the 
cabin! Don’t be afraid,” she said to the Scout 
Master, “I won’t scream again, even if I do 
hear a wildcat.” 

“I don’t believe you’ll hear one,” he said. 
“They aren’t any more anxious to meet us than 
we are them. Besides, I think that was an 
owl.” 

“An owl making that horrible noise?” asked 
Miss Slade. 

‘ ‘ A screech owl, ’ ’ said Chot, anxious to make 
amends for the first fright he had caused. 

“I think I wouldn’t be any more anxious to 


ON THE TRAIL 


233 


meet one of them than I would a wildcat,” said 
EthePs aunt. ^‘But let’s get started. Let’s 
do something ! ” 

‘^Yes; every minute counts!” said her 
brother. 

A little later Jack and his chums, the brother 
looking anxious and worried, joined the Boy 
Scouts, and presently with lanterns and flash 
lights they started oft through the woods. 

‘‘We’ll go in the direction Ethel was last 
seen traveling,” suggested her father. “It 
may be possible to pick up her trail. If she 
found her sight temporarily leaving her she 
would stay in one place, I’m sure. I have told 
her always to do that.” 

“And if she is anywhere within hearing of 
our voices she will answer,” said Miss Slade. 

And so the two parties, combined, started 
out on the trail of the missing girl. 

“What will Rick think if he comes back to 
oamp and finds us all gone?” asked Tom. 

“I’ll leave a note on my tent pole,” said the 
Scout Master, “telling him what has happened. 
I’ll advise him to stay in camp. It will be use- 
less for him to follow, perhaps to be lost. I 
can’t understand what keeps him.” 


234 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘ ‘ Maybe something has happened to Ruddy, ’ ^ 
suggested Chot. 

^‘Say, you’re full of cheerful predictions to- 
night!” objected Hen. ‘‘Cut ’em out!” 

“Guess I’d better,” agreed Chot. “But 
maybe we’ll meet Ruddy on the trail.” 

“That’s more like it,” complimented Tom. 
“I hope we do !” 

The note having been left in case Rick should 
return, which his chums fully expected him to 
do, the searchers started otf, plunging into the 
now dark woods, their lights flashing like so 
many gigantic fireflies. And as they moved 
along they shouted and called at intervals. 

“If we only had Ruddy here now he could 
trail Ethel, maybe,” said Chot to Tom. 

“Maybe. I wonder where they are?” 

And it was just about this same time that 
Rick had entered the dismal cavern, following 
Ruddy, and had heard the voice calling the 
name of his dog. 

For a moment the boy was so startled that 
he could not think clearly, and he had a rash 
idea that what he had heard was but the echo 
of Ruddy’s barking, or his own calls, strangely 


ON THE TEAIL 


235 


twisted by the echoes. But then again the cry 
came : 

‘‘Buddy I Buddy! Come to me! Where 
are youT’ 

‘ ‘ Ethel ! » ^ shouted Bick. ‘ ‘ Ethel ! ’ » 

“Oh, Bick! Bick! Is that you?^’ cried the 
girl. “Oh, I’m so glad! Now I’ll be all right. 
Can you find me? I’m lost in the dark, and I 
daren’t move for fear of falling. I’m in the 
cave — are you?” 

“Yes,” Bick answered. “But I never was 
in this part before. Keep on calling so I can 
find you. Here, Buddy!” 

“Dear old Buddy!” called Ethel. ^‘It was 
he who found me! Oh, I was so glad! I 
thought you were with him, but you weren’t — 
at first. And then when Buddy went away — 
Oh, I was so lonesome ! ’ ’ 

“He came out to meet me,” Bick said, feel- 
ing rather strange at thus talking into the semi- 
darkness at a person whom he could not see. 
“He lagged behind and I went back after him, 
and it was only by chance that I found him. 
Now I’ve found you — pretty near, that is,” and 
Bick added the last because he wondered if he 


236 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


could locate the girl there in the dark cave, with 
only his flash light to guide him. 

‘‘Follow Ruddy! Hefll lead you to mel’^ 
called Ethel. 

“That’s so!” exclaimed Rick. “I almost 
forgot about him ! ’ ’ 

He called to his dog, who was sniffing off in 
some dark nook, and the setter bounded to his 
side. 

‘ ‘ Go find Ethel ! ’ ’ commanded Rick. 

Ruddy barked and started off, the boy follow- 
ing as rapidly as he could, throwing the gleam 
of his electric torch ahead of him, and holding 
to his string of fish. 

Ethel was farther in the cave than Rick had 
expected to find her, judging from the sound 
of her voice, but that was accounted for by 
the peculiar echoes. And at last, as he turned 
one of the many crooked passages in the cavern, 
Rick discovered the girl sitting on a ledge of 
rock, near a little running stream of water — 
an underground rill that trickled musically over 
the stones. 

“Oh, Rick! I’m so glad!” cried Ethel, as 
she grasped his hand. “I — I can’t see again,” 
she added, with a quiver of her lips. “I got 


ON THE TRAIL 


237 


blind all of a sudden after I’d been in this 
cave quite a little while.” 

‘‘Did you come in here by yourself?” asked 
Rick. 

“Yes. I was out for a walk, and then I hap- 
pened to remember that you spoke of a cave 
where my handkerchief was found. I’d never 
been in it, and I thought maybe my father 
didn’t want to tell me about it — I think this 
is his cave. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ I begin to believe so, ’ ’ said Rick. ‘ ‘ At least 
one cave is, for I’m sure I saw him in it when 
we were ordered out. But you must have 
walked a long way before you found this place 
of getting in — through the rocky gorge.” 

‘ ‘ I didn ’t come in that way ! ’ ’ exclaimed Ethel 
in surprise, as Rick sat down near her. “I 
went in by the opening near our camp.” 

‘ ‘ Whew ! ’ ’ whistled Rick. 

“What’s the matter?” Ethel asked. 

“This cave must be big — terrible big,” 
answered Rick. “This part is miles from our 
camps ! ’ ’ 

“I did walk a long ways,” the girl said. “I 
had a flash lamp but it went out.” 

“Guess I’d better switch mine off,” said 


238 


KICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


Rick, ‘‘or it won^t last long. I need a new 
battery, anyhow.’’ 

“I was afraid when mine went out,” said 
Ethel, “but I could see a little for there was 
a hole up through the roof of the cave. Then 
I stumbled and fell. I hit my head, and when 
I got up I couldn’t see. My blindness had come 
again. I groped around and sat down here. 

I ‘Then, all of a sudden, I heard something 
moving and I screamed. A do^ barked and 
Ruddy came up to me. Then I felt that you 
would come.” 

“I’m glad I did,” said Rick, “but it was all 
accident. Ruddy sort of ran away, and he must 
have just happened to find this hole to get 
into the cave. But I’ll lead you out.” 

“Please do,” begged Ethel. “It’s scary in 
here, even if I can’t see. Oh, I do wish it would 
go away — ^my blindness, ’ ’ and there was a chok- 
ing sob in her voice. 

Rick patted her hand and Ruddy put his 
smooth tongue on the other. 

“Dear old Ruddy!” murmured the girl, gen- 
tly pulling his silken ears. “Now let’s go, 
Rick.” 


ON THE TRAIL 


239 


She arose, holding out her hand, which act 
Rick saw as he flashed on his light again. Then 
he started to lead her back the way he had come 
in. 

As he neared the opening by which he and 
Ruddy had entered, recognizing by his electric 
torch some marks along the underground trail, 
Rick heard a noise outside. 

‘‘What is it?’^ asked Ethel. 

“Sounds like rain,” the boy answered. And 
when he reached the opening in the rocky side 
of the defile (one of the several entrances to 
the mysterious cave), Rick found that a heavy 
rain was falling outside, and that pitch black 
night had come. 

“Uml” Rick murmured. “No use taking 
you out in this, Ethel. You donT mind staying 
in here where it ’ s dry, do you ? ’ * 

“Not if you and Ruddy stay.” 

“Of course weTl stay. TheyTl probably 
start out from camp looking for us in a little 
while. WeTl just stay here. It isn't so bad. 
It’s warm and dry.” 

“It would be real nice if I could see, and if 
we had something to eat,” said Ethel. 


240 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


cried Rick joyfully. ‘^Wky didn’t 
I think of it before ? I can broil some fish and 
I Ve got a few sandwiches and cookies ! ’ ’ 

‘‘Oh, goodie!” exclaimed Ethel, now almost 
her happy self again. 

“Wait here and I’ll get some dry sticks and 
make a fire,” Rick told the girl. “We’ll camp 
right here.” 

There was a quantity of dry drift wood, de- 
posited by some freshet, just inside the entrance 
to the cave, and with these pieces the Boy 
Scout soon had started a merry blaze. 

“I can feel it, even if I can’t see it,” said 
Ethel, holding out her hands to the flames. 

Rick found where the underground stream 
ran to within a short distance of the mouth of 
the cavern, and there he cleaned and washed 
some of the fish. Cutting o:ff some choice por- 
tions, he broiled them by holding them in front 
of the fire, suspended on a piece of wire he 
carried in his pocket for making fish snares. 

“Here’s a piece of board for a plate,” he 
told Ethel, placing it in her hands, after he had 
laid on it a slice of broiled fish. ‘ ‘ Shall I feed 
you? You’ll have to use your fingers for knife 
and fork.” 


ON THE TRAIL 


241 


^‘Oh, I can do that, and feed myself as long 
as I know things are in front of me,’’ she 
said. 

‘‘I’ll salt and pepper your fish for you,” 
offered Hick, for in his knapsack were these 
condiments which he and several of the Scouts 
carried, as they often cooked their fish at an 
open fire in the woods. 

“Oh, how good it is!” cried Ethel as she ate 
in the cave beside the cheerful fire, which she 
could hear the crackle of, if she could not see. 
“Now ever}d;hing is all right!” 

“We may have to stay here all night,” said 
Rick. “I don’t believe, even if the rain stops, 
that I’d dare try to lead you out through the 
gorge.” 

‘ ‘ I don ’t mind staying — do we. Ruddy ? ’ ’ mur- 
mured Ethel, and the dog who had shared in 
the supper Rick prepared, whined contentedly 
in answer. 

The rain kept up, but the refugees were safe 
in the cave. Rick insisted on taking off his 
coat and wrapping it about Ethel who had on a 
thin dress, and he persisted in this in spite of 
her objections. The hours passed, and Rick 
and Ethel must have dozed off by the warm 


242 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


fire wlien suddenly Ruddy roused up and 
barked. 

^‘Wbat^s thatr^ cried Ethel, starting up. 
Then she added: ‘‘Oh, Riok! I can see! I 
can see the fire — and you and Ruddy! But 
what made him bark?’’ 

“He heard something, I guess,” Rick an- 
swered, himself hardly awake as yet. “Lie 
down. Ruddy ! ” he commanded. 

But the dog growled and barked again, and 
then, off in the distance could be heard confused 
noises. Voices were shouting and calling, and 
above the clamor a name was called : 

“Ethel! Ethel!” 

“Oh, Daddy! Here I am! Here I am!” 
she answered. “And Rick and Ruddy are with 
me!” 


CHAPTER XXIV 


OUT OF DAEKNESS 

J OYOUS cries resounded through the dis- 
mal cavern as the searchers heard this 
answer to their call. For it was the advent of 
Mr. Slade, the Scout Master, Miss Slade and 
the boys. They had been on the trail for the 
better part of the night and finally, as a sort 
of last resort, had entered the cave, though not 
at the place where Rick and Ruddy had gone in. 

‘‘Ethel! Ethel! Are you all right T’ cried 
her father, and then the girl and boy near the 
camp fire saw the flash of lanterns and electric 
torches. 

“Yes, Rick and Ruddy took care of me,’^ 
Ethel Slade answered. “I lost my sight again, 
but I have it back now, and we had broiled fish. 
Ruddy found me first, and then Rick.^’ 

“A very good combination, I should say!’’ 
laughed Mr. Slade, almost like one of the boys 
243 


244 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


now in his happiness. ‘ ^ 1 11 thank you and your 
dog later, Kick,’’ he said, and he grasped the 
boy’s hand in a grip that almost made Rick cry 
out with pain. But he bravely held back. 

* ‘ Oh, you poor child ! ’ ’ murmured Aunt Irma. 

‘‘I had a lovely time, after Rick found me,” 
said Ethel, ‘‘and now I can see! My eyes got 
better when I slept. They feel different, too, 
as if they were all well again. ’ ’ 

“If only it could be true,” murmured her 
father in a low voice. 

“Well, this is luck, indeed, to find both lost 
ones, not to mention Ruddy!” said the Scout 
Master. “You’re better off than we are,” he 
added, “for we’re dripping wet and you two 
are as dry as bones.” 

“Yes, the cave was a good shelter,” Ethel 
said. “Are we going home now. Daddy? Back 
to camp?” 

“Might as well, I guess. Most of us need 
dry things.” 

‘ ‘ But if I go out in the rain I ’ll get all wet, ’ ’ 
objected the girl, “and so will Rick and 
Ruddy. ’ ’ 

“Oh, I don’t mind!” Ruddy’s young master 
hastened to say. 


OUT OF DARKNESS 


245 


‘‘There isn’t any need of getting very wet,” 
said Mr. Slade. “This cave of mine is a big 
one, and winds around under the hills. It has 
several entrances, I find — some I don’t know 
about myself. But we can walk back to the 
main one, which is near our cabin, and then 
we’ll have only a little distance to go in the 
storm. ’ ’ 

“Then this is your cave?” questioned the 
Scout Master of Mr. Slade, while Aunt Irma 
wrapped around Ethel a cloak she had brought, 
giving Rick hack his coat. 

“Yes, I bought it some time ago,” was the 
answer, “but the fact that there is a big cave 
around here isn’t generally known. I kept it 
as secret as I could because of something of 
value here. ’ ’ 

“Gold?” cried Chot. 

“Diamonds?” gasped Hen. 

“Neither one,” laughed Mr. Slade. “It is a 
rock crystal formation that can be used to make 
grinding and polishing wheels. I accidentally 
discovered these crystals while prospecting in 
the cave one day, after I had bought it for 
another purpose. Since then I have had to keep 
the matter secret, as some other men were try- 


246 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


ing to get possession of the cavern and make 
use of the crystals. But now I have everything 
safe, and I don^t care who knows about the 
cave, or who comes in it. Idl show you the 
crystals, or some of them, when we go back.’^ 

Rick^s smoldering fire was extinguished and 
then he, with Ethel and Ruddy, followed the 
rescue party back to the main entrance — the 
one by which the boys had first made their ac- 
quaintance with the cavern. 

^‘Here are some of the crystals,^’ said Mr. 
Slade, pausing to fiash, into a sort of side 
cavern, the lantern he carried. The gleams 
were refiected back a million fold in the brilliant 
rock formations. 

‘‘There’s a gun!” exclaimed Rick, catching 
sight of a weapon standing up against the rocky 
wall. 

“Did some one try to come in and take the 
crystals away. Dad?” asked Jack. “Did you 
have to stand ’em oft?” 

“No, not exactly,” his father answered. 
“You see, even Jack does not know all the 
secrets of the cave, though he has been in it 
several times,” he remarked to the Scout Mas- 


OUT OF DARKNESS 


247 


ter. discovered that by firing the gun in 
the cave the vibrations brought down from the 
high, vaulted roof large quantities of the crys- 
tals, and I used that plan in getting some for 
experimenting. It was my form of blasting.’’ 

The Boy Scouts nodded understanding^. 
This accounted for the thunderous noises they 
had heard once, after being ordered from the 
cave on an occasion. 

‘‘I regretted asking you to leave,” said Mr. 
Slade, ‘‘but I dared take no chances on having 
my secret discovered, since I had not yet ob- 
tained complete and legal possession of the 
cave. But now everything is all right. We shall 
start digging out the rock crystals soon, and I 
hope some may even prove to be of value for 
other purposes than grinding and polishing 
wheels. ’ ’ 

Mr. Slade told more about the cave, how he 
had discovered it by accident while camping 
in that locality, and how he had bought it in 
secret. He admitted that it was he whose voice 
the boys heard coming up from the hole in the 
ground that time. 

“I was down there,” said Ethel’s father, 


248 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


‘^and I noticed that the least vibrations, even 
those of my footsteps, caused crystals to fall 
from the roof. I reasoned that a louder noise 
might cause more to fall, so I gave some 
shouts.’’ 

^^Did you call ‘gold! gold!’?” asked Rick. 

“No,” laughed Mr. Slade. “As I remember 
what I said was ‘old,’ for that word has a 
round, sonorous sound that makes many echoes. 
And it did bring down several crystals. I’m 
sorry I disappointed you lads.” 

“I thought maybe it might have been gold 
or diamonds,” said Chot, with half a disap- 
pointed sigh. 

Rick told of having found Ethel’s handker- 
chief in the cave, or, rather, of Ruddy’s act in 
bringing it to him. 

“I think I must have dropped it,” said Mr. 
Slade. “I don’t remember picking it up with 
some of mine, but I do remember, afterward, 
that my pocket smelled of perfume, which I 
recognized as some scent Ethel had. At any 
rate, I think that clears up all the mysteries of 
the cavern.” 

“What a wonderful cave!” murmured Ethel, 
as they walked through it. And then, suddenly, 


OUT OF DARKNESS 


249 


as they turned down another corridor the girl 
shrank back close to her father’s side. 

^^Look! Look!” she whispered. ‘‘The face 
of fire!” 

And there, grinning at them, was the same 
grotesque countenance of flickering flames that 
Rick and his chums had first seen. 

“Oh, that!” laughed Mr. Slade. “That was 
one of Jack’s jokes!” 

“Yes, I put it there,” admitted Ethel’s 
brother. “I heard dad say he wanted strangers 
kept out of the cave, and I drew the face on the 
wall with phosphorus.” 

“I had a quantity of phosphorus sent up to 
daub on the different parts of the cave wall, to 
indicate the proper turnings to take to get to 
the crystals,” said Mr. Slade. “The phos- 
phorus glowed in the dark and outlined my trail 
for me. But now I don’t need it.” 

“That face sure scared us,” admitted Rick. 
“But did you draw it over again. Jack? It 
faded out once.” 

“It fades in dry weather, and glows when it 
is damp, as it is now from the rainy mist that 
drifts into the cave,” explained Mr. Slade. “I 
noticed that with the phosphorus markings I 


250 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


used. But here we are at the entrance, and — 
why, it’s stopped raining and the moon is out !” 
he exclaimed. 

Then they emerged from the darkness of the 
cavern into the glorious silvery gleam of the 
full moon. 

‘‘Oh, how lovely!” murmured Ethel, gazing 
up at Luna sailing the sky like some dream-ship. 

‘ ‘ How glad I am that I can see. And my eyes 
feel so different! I fell and hit my head. 
Daddy, and then it got dark, but now I can 
see better than ever.” 

‘ ‘ The doctor predicted that some day a shock 
would restore your sight to normal, ’ ’ said Aunt 
Irma. “We must have the oculist examine you 
at once!” 

Back to their separate camps went the two 
parties, though there was not much chance to 
sleep, for it was nearly morning. 

The next day, when the Boy Scouts were 
hanging up their things to dry in the hot sun, 
Ethel and her father and aunt came along in 
the auto. 

“I’m going to the city to have my eyes exam- 
ined,” said the girl to Rick and his chums. 
“But I just feel that they’ll be all right now.” 


OUT OF DARKNESS 


251 


‘‘I hope so/’ murmured Rick, while Ruddy- 
wagged his tail in a combined welcome and 
good-by, as he ran off to trail a scurrying 
rabbit. 

‘‘Are you coming back?” the Scout Master 
called after Mr. Slade. 

“Oh, yes, we’re going to finish out our sum- 
mer in camp. And I have to look after my 
cave crystals. We’ll see you again.” 

Rick went off fishing by himself, his chums 
having been assigned to various tasks about 
camp. And as the boy and dog sat on the bank 
of a little cove, with a great tree towering over 
them, and the white tents of the camp behind 
them, Rick heard some one approaching. 

He did not turn his head as, just then, he 
felt a nibble at his line. But as he pulled a big 
chub from the water he heard a voice saying : 

“Will you be friends. Ruddy?” 

And there, with his arms around the setter’s 
neck, was — Jack Slade! 

Rick landed his fish on the grass with a thump 
and then, as he stood up, while Ruddy wagged 
his tail, and looked from one boy to the other. 
Jack held out his hand. 

“I — I’ll never hurt Ruddy again,” said Jack, 


252 


KICK AND BUDDY IN CAMP 


and there was a catch in his voice. sorry 

I ever did. You see I was just rotten mean! 
But when I was little I was bitten by a dog, 
and ever since then IVe been sort of afraid 
of ^em, and IVe hit Vm and kicked ’em to make 
’em keep away from me! But I’m all done 
with that now! I’m never going to kick or 
stone a dog again!” 

‘[By gosh, I’m glad of that!” cried Rick, 
and the hands of the two hoys met in a warm 
clasp of friendship, while the tail of dear old 
Ruddy almost wagged off! 

“Jimminity! That’s a dandy fish!” ex- 
claimed Jack, admiringly, as he turned to look 
at Rick’s catch. 

“Pretty fair,” acknowledged Rick. “Want 
to take my pole for awhile ? ’ ’ 

“Don’t you want it?” 

“Nope! You can take it!” 

Then Rick and Ruddy sat and watched Jack 
fish, and there was an understanding among 
the three such as had never been before, as Jack 
reached out one hand and patted Ruddy’s head, 
while the dog’s tail thumped the ground in 
perfect happiness. 

Two days later Ethel and her father came 


OUT OF DAEKNESS 


253 


back to camp, and one look at the girPs shining 
face and sparkling eyes told the story. 

‘ * Oh, Rick ! ’ ’ she cried. ^ ‘ I ’m never going 
to be left in the dark any more! Aren^t you 
glad, Jackr^ 

‘‘Glad? Say — Oh, gosh! Whoop !’^ and 
Jack^s hat went sailing up in the air, while 
Ruddy raced after it, bringing it back with a 
joyous bark, which was an entreaty to throw 
it again. 

“Why — why,’’ said Ethel slowly, “Jack, are 
you — ^you and Ruddy ” 

‘ ‘ Sure, we ’re friends ! ’ ’ cried the boy. ‘ ‘ What 
you think? Hi, Ruddy! Go get it!” and he 
tossed a stick far out into the lake, the dog 
racing like mad to get it. 

“Oh, I’m so glad! So glad!” murmured 
Ethel, and Rick knew what she meant. 

Happy were the camping days that followed, 
for Sid and Sam, like Jack, became friends of 
the Scouts. Mr. Taylor was able to gratify his 
wish and explore the cave as much as he wished, 
and later Mr. Slade engaged the Scout Master 
to help get out the crystals. 

At the close of the camping season Mr. Slade 
gave, in the large cavern, a big clambake to all 


254 


RICK AND RUDDY IN CAMP 


the boys, Ethel acting as hostess. Who had 
spoiled the bake of the Scouts was never dis- 
covered, though tramps were suspected. 

And thus to a happy conclusion came the 
camping days of my boy hero and his dog. But 
it was not an end of their good times, by any 
means. And if you are sufficiently interested 
to follow further the affairs of the two friends, 
you may read of them in the next book of this 
series, to be called: ‘‘Rick and Ruddy Afloat; 
The Cruise of a Boy and His Dog.^’ 


THE END 


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